


Ho Ho Homo (Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah)

by swanqueenfic13



Series: Little Luthor [19]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alex was raised Jewish, Christmas Fluff, Domestic Fluff, F/F, Family Fluff, First Night of Hanukkah, Hanukkah, Hanukkah Fluff, Holidays, Kara is Jewish, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-17
Updated: 2018-01-01
Packaged: 2019-02-16 04:24:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 21,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13046424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/swanqueenfic13/pseuds/swanqueenfic13
Summary: The holidays are approaching and Lena wants to accommodate Kara's family traditions as well as her own. Lydia is just excited to get more candy and food.





	1. On the First Night of Hanukkah

**Author's Note:**

> Just a note: I am not Jewish. Everything I wrote about, all of the traditions and prayers and things I discussed were found on the internet. If I have misrepresented something, let me know and I will fix it. Otherwise, enjoy!
> 
>  
> 
> *UPDATE* I have decided after some reflection to make Maggie Sawyer's character in my fics reflect her character in the DC universe rather than reflect the actress who portrays her on Supergirl. I originally made this Maggie Italian because Floriana Lima is Italian, but it had been brought to my attention that Maggie is Hispanic so I will be changing all of my fics to reflect this. In the future, if you catch a reference to Maggie being Italian in any of these fics, let me know so I can change it. Have a nice day!

The holidays were always difficult for Kara. Though Krypton had never celebrated Christmas or Hanukkah, and it never snowed, this time of year always reminded her of the loss of her world. It was something about all the family gatherings and celebrations of hope and love and the religious rituals, it always made her miss her family. The shorter days didn’t help much either; according to Eliza’s research, Kryptonians are even more susceptible to seasonal depression since they rely so much on the sun’s energy. Growing up, Alex always made sure to bring Kara hot cocoa and take her out for some fun winter events or just sit with her to remember her family and mourn quietly.

Of course, a child has a different way of celebrating the holidays. Lydia’s holiday fever started before her accident, as soon as Christmas ads started playing on the TV. Kara had smiled when she chose red for her cast because she knew it was primarily because it was a Christmas color. They had a quiet Thanksgiving at home since Lydia was still getting used to her cast and was still in pain whenever she was out for more than an hour at a time; they had even waited two days before picking up Fish from Alex and Maggie for fear that he would be too much for the little girl. They spent the day eating Chinese food, drinking cocoa and watching Hallmark Christmas movies. As soon as the day was over, Lydia was in full Christmas mode.

“I had no idea kids had this much energy for Christmas,” Kara sighed on the first night of December. They’d promised Lydia they would get a Christmas tree that weekend and she had been so excited. She’d insisted on reading not one but four Christmas stories before she finally fell asleep. Once she was asleep with Fish curled up on her feet, Kara and Lena went down to the basement to look for their one box of Christmas decorations. “I mean, like, I did. I work in a preschool. But still… I only deal with them part of the day. This is… a lot.”

“I tried to warn you last year; Lydia loves all things Christmas,” Lena laughed, shifting a box aside. “Aha! Here it is. We’ll definitely need to get some stuff on the outside, though. And some more for inside. Our apartment didn’t have nearly enough places to decorate as this place.”

“We’ll make a Target run before we go to the tree farm,” Kara said, easily lifting the box as they began to walk upstairs.

“Fine, but you get to deal with her whining when she sees toys she wants but can’t have,” Lena laughed.

“Isn’t that the beauty of Christmas, though? We tell her to put it on her list for Santa and not whine about it?”

“I suppose you’re right.” They chatted idly, sorting through the decorations for a while before they went up to bed. Once they were both under the covers, Lena with her book and Kara with her phone, Lena hesitantly asked, “did Krypton have anything like this? Like Christmas?” They’d talked about Krypton some, but Kara usually got this faraway look in her eye then changed the subject or went to bed. Tonight, she just paused, putting down her phone and pausing her show.

“It was more similar to Hanukkah, actually. Our religion most closely resembles Judaism more than anything else. And it took place during our summer, not that our seasons were as drastic as they are on this planet. But, um… yeah, it was more like Hanukkah. And the Danvers celebrated Hanukkah too. At least… when Jeremiah was alive. He was Jewish. We kind of… stopped celebrating not too long after his death,” Kara said softly, playing with the fingers on Lena’s hand.

“I’m so sorry about Jeremiah,” Lena said. Kara shrugged.

“It was worse for Alex; I mean, he was her _dad_ . He cared about me and I cared about him, so it was tough and I was still… Still feeling the loss of Krypton so… Yeah, when we stopped celebrating, I didn’t protest so much.” Lena stayed silent, unable to even imagine Kara’s pain and the losses she’d suffered. She squeezed Kara’s hand three times and Kara squeezed back, looking over to smile at Lena. “I want to keep Krypton alive, you know? My cousin… he wasn’t raised with our language, our culture, our religion, our history. In a lot of ways… I’m the last true Kryptonian. And that’s a _lot_ of pressure. When I was younger, I was trying so hard to just fit in and be human so I guess… it made it easier to stop acting like a Kryptonian because… I don’t know. It’s hard to explain.” Kara fell quiet and Lena took their entangled hands and kissed Kara’s knuckles lightly.

“I can’t even imagine. Thank you for telling me some of it. Do you think… would it be alright if we tried to incorporate some elements of your holiday- or maybe Hanukkah?- in our Christmas traditions?” Lena asked nervously. She didn’t want to overstep, but she did want to offer.

“I… Yeah, that might be nice. Some of the… We can incorporate the aspects that line up with Hanukkah. That… I haven’t done that in a long time,” Kara said, a bit breathy. “We can light the hanukkiah and… I know the Kryptonian prayers and Alex helped me translate them into Hebrew so we can say it that way and it’ll sound authentic.”

“Okay, that would be nice,” Lena smiled. Kara kissed her temple.

“Is it alright if I go to bed? You can leave the light on to read, I just… I’m kinda tired now.”

“Of course, darling. Thank you for talking to me about all of this, I know it can’t be easy.”

“It’s not, but… it’s always easy to talk to you, so…” Kara shrugged and turned to give her a proper goodnight kiss. “Love you.”

“Love you, too. Always,” Lena replied, tucking the blankets tighter around Kara. Despite what Kara had said, Lena dimmed the lights and took out her reading lamp. With one hand she held the book on her lap, and with the other, she stroked Kara’s hair. While it made turning the pages somewhat difficult, it was made up for in the way Kara fell asleep so easily, breathing slow and even.

 

The Target trip was a blur of jostling past other holiday shoppers and arguing over colored or white lights for the outside of the house (Lena convinced Kara that the white lights were neutral and allow them to get any other outside decoration without worrying about too many colors overwhelming people). They hadn’t gotten much in the way of Hanukkah decorations because Kara wanted to ask Eliza what she still had and explain things to Lydia.  Lydia was starting to droop a little once they got in the car on their way to the Christmas tree farm. The backseat of the car and the trunk were packed with their new decorations.

“Lyd, honey, it’s okay if you wanna take a break before we go to the tree farm. It’s been a long morning, and I know your arm probably still hurts,” Lena insisted, looking over her shoulder to make eye contact with her stubborn daughter.

“No, Mommy. I wanna get a Christmas tree!” Lydia asserted, kicking her feet to fight her yawn.

“Please don’t kick, baby girl,” Kara said warningly, eyes on the road.

“Sorry, Mama,” she mumbled, rubbing her eyes. “But I wanna get a tree!”

“We will get a tree. But if you’re cranky, we’ll get it later,” Lena said firmly.

“Not cranky,” Lydia grumbled unconvincingly. Lena and Kara shared a meaningful look, an entire conversation passing between them in just a moment.

“Why don’t I put some Christmas music on while we try to find a good Christmas tree farm?” Lena suggested, already turning on the Bluetooth to connect to her phone. She began to play some of the more traditional, religious Christmas songs since they were softer and slower. Kara purposely took a longer route to the Christmas tree farm and both women started humming the songs. Lydia started singing along, her body relaxing slowly, although her eyes never closed. She steadfastly refused to fall asleep but by the time Kara parked in front of the Christmas tree farm- a little farmstand just North of National City run by a family with young kids- she had calmed considerably.

“Alright, Lyd, let’s go pick out a tree! We can pick anything that doesn’t have a red tag on it, see? We want to pick a nice, full tree. No bald spots or patches. Not too tall. Think you can find one?” Kara said, holding Lydia’s hand and swinging it slightly as the little girl skipped excitedly onward, through the parking lot and towards the rows of trees. Lena hung back grinning fondly at her girls and taking a picture.

“Yeah!” Lydia squealed excitedly.

“If Mama lets go of your hand, are you going to stay where we can see you?” Lena said, voice stern but her huge smile kind of ruined the intended effect.

“Mhmm, promise!” Lydia said with a smile. As soon as they had crossed from the parking lot into the rows of trees for sale, each set up in a metal tree stand, some with red tags indicating they’d been marked for purchase, Kara released Lydia’s hand. She ran a few steps ahead to inspect a tree, running around it before looking back at her mothers.

“Too short,” she declared. Kara nodding; it was barely taller than she and she preferred that a tree be the tallest thing in the room. They moved on to the next tree which Lydia declared was too skinny. After a few more inspections, Lydia found a tree she liked.

“What a great pick, sweetheart,” Lena praised as she walked around it. “Kara, could you go figure out how we go about bringing this one home?” Kara nodded, ruffling Lydia’s hair as she walked towards the shop.

“Hey, Alison! It’s been awhile since I’ve seen you; it’s usually your brother when I come. You’re getting so big! How old are you now? Twelve?” Kara pauses, smiling at Alison Booker, the daughter of the shop owners. Kara had been frequenting this farm stand since she first moved to National City; she appreciated the family dynamic of the shop and wanted to support them as best as she could. The eldest daughter preened, dark cheeks turning pink in embarrassment. She fiddled with the end of her braid nervously and tugged on the buttons of her red checkered flannel.

“Uh- h-hi, Miss Danvers. Are you- where’s Alex and Maggie? And Jamie?” she asked.

“Oh, I’m not sure when they’re getting their tree. I’m actually here with my girlfriend and our daughter this year. Where are your parents? We found a tree we want.”

“Um, I can… I can cash you out if you want? My mom had to bring Lucas to basketball practice and my dad is helping someone else ring out right now,” Alison offered shyly. Kara smiled brightly, nodding. She had come to this farm stand once every month or so for years and had grown to love the family, though the last few times she came, Alison had been notably absent.

“So, how’s school going? You must be in- what, seventh grade?” Alison nodded, fiddling with her hair again as she walked behind the register, hitting the necessary keys.

“That’s $37.62, cash or credit?”

“Credit,” Kara said. Alison nodded and pressed more buttons before indicating Kara could put her card into the system.

“School is good. I’m in seventh grade,” Alison offered. “Math is getting hard but… I work hard at it. I do alright.”

“That’s great, kid. I’m proud of you.” Again, Alison blushed.

“So… you have a g-girlfriend?” Alison said, stumbling over the word, unable to look Kara in the eye. Kara hummed in agreement. “Is she… is she nice? Is she pretty?” Kara peered at Alison thoughtfully; she’d never had a bad reaction to Alex and Maggie being married, so Kara didn’t quite understand why she was acting so skittish now.

“She’s really nice and she is  _beautiful_. Do you want to meet her? I can introduce you when I show you which tree we want,” Kara offered.

“Sure, but my dad doesn’t let me do the chopping by myself. He said once I’m a little older and I’ve had more practice I can,” she explained before grabbing a walkie-talkie from her waist, speaking into it to ask her dad to meet her to cut down a tree. He squawked back that he’d meet her as soon as he wrapped up this tree he was working with. Alison grabbed an ax and followed after Kara. They walked quietly until they approached the tree and Lydia came running over excitedly.

“Mama, Mama! Mommy said after we get our tree home, we can have chicken nuggets and mac and cheese for lunch!” she giggled as Kara scooped her up and swayed her around playfully.

“That’s awesome, baby! You wanna meet a friend of mine?” Lydia nodded excitedly, turning to Alison as Lena approached, smiling fondly at her family. “This is Alison. Her mom and dad own the Christmas tree farm. I’ve known her since before you were born,” Kara said. “When I met her, she was only _this big_.” Kara held her hand up about equal to Alison’s belly button. “She was just a few years older than you are now. And Alison, this is my girlfriend Lena and our daughter Lydia.”

“Hello,” Alison said, still a bit shy. “Um, could you show me the tree?” she asked after a moment. They nodded and brought her back to the tree, waiting for her dad to show up so they could cut the tree down. Alison stayed pretty quiet during the process, only able to make direct eye contact with Kara for a moment before saying goodbye, giving her a quick hug. She waved at Lena and Lydia before running back to the storefront, ignoring her father’s shouts. With the tree strapped to their roof and Lydia finally allowing her eyes to close in the backseat, lulled to sleep by the soft Christmas music, Lena smirked at Kara teasingly.

“I think your friend Alison has a little crush on you.”

“What? She does not, she’s just a kid,” Kara sputtered.

“She’s almost a teenager, and she could barely look you in the eye today. Every time you smiled, she blushed and looked away. It was cute,” Lena grinned.

“I’ve known her since she was six!” Kara protested.

“If there’s anyone who knows a baby gay girl crush, it’s me. It’s a harmless little crush, Kara. I’m sure it’ll be gone by the next time you see her.” Kara just shrugged, glancing back at Lydia, now sound asleep in the back seat.

“I guess.” They lapse into a comfortable silence, the only sounds being the Bluetooth playing their Christmas music and Lydia’s gentle snoring. When they got back home, Kara put a still-sleeping Lydia on the couch before beginning to bring in the bags upon bags of Christmas decorations. Once that was all in place, Kara set about wrangling the Christmas tree in the stand, shushing Fish as he barked at her. Lydia’s eyes were beginning to open and she groaned as she sat up, accidentally knocking her head with her cast as she tried to stretch. She whimpered and Kara quickly adjusted the tree, shoving it into the stand and using her superspeed to help her tighten the bolts holding it into place, just managing to turn around and smile as Lydia sleepily sat up. Immediately, her eyes lit up.

“The tree!” she gasped.

“The tree,” Kara said, grinning in agreement. “Do you think Fish likes it?” She petted Fish as he suspiciously sniffed the tree.

“Yeah! But no peeing on this tree, Fishy,” Lydia said seriously, wagging her finger at Fish. He came trotting over, licking her fingers as she giggled and squealed. When her stomach let out a loud growl, Lydia paused. “Can we have lunch soon?”

“Mommy’s just finishing it up in the kitchen, love bug.” Kara stood, leading Lydia into the kitchen and letting her get settled at the table.

“Morning peanut,” Lena teased as she scooped the mac and cheese into a bowl for Lydia.

“Mommy, it‘s not morning,” Lydia pointed out, scrunching up her nose.

“I know you silly goose. Are you hungry?” Lydia nodded enthusiastically. “Good! Because I made some yummy lunch here. Kar, where are you going?”

“Taking Fish for a quick walk. Probably going to call Eliza, too.” Lena nodded in understanding and Lydia just waved to her mama as she put on shoes and Fish’s leash and harness. Kara decided to keep her walk short, just taking Fish around the park once before taking him to the dog park, letting him run around and play in the surprisingly empty structure. She tossed a tennis ball for him before pulling out her phone to call Eliza.

 _“Kara, dear, it’s good to hear from you! How are you?”_ Eliza said warmly. Kara could tell from the background noise that Eliza was driving, talking through the Bluetooth in her car.

“I’m doing well, thanks. We got a Christmas tree today and we’re starting to decorate. That’s actually what I wanted to talk to you about,” Kara said, tossing the ball again as Fish brought it back. He happily galloped after it and Kara chuckled.

“ _Oh? What do you mean?”_ Eliza asked curiously. _“Do you need some of our old decorations?”_

“No, no, no,” Kara said quickly. “I was just… I was talking to Lena about Hanukkah and how we used to have our own traditions… She offered to have us start to celebrate and integrate them with their Christmas stuff- you know, they still do the whole Christmas thing because Lydia’s a kid, but they only do the Santa thing, not the religious side of it. So, I guess, like, I was just wondering what you did with Jeremiah’s hanukkiah? And all of the other stuff?” Kara asked, a little nervous. Another dog and their owner entered the dog park and Kara waved to the owner as Fish happily trotted over to greet his playmate.

 _“Oh, of course! I offered it to Alex when she first moved out, but she never wanted much to do with the holiday after Jeremiah’s passing. She and Maggie do Christmas, of course, and Maggie has her own church that they go to for Christmas mass. I have the hanukkiah, the table runner, the placemats, the dreidels, and Jeremiah’s family recipe book with traditional Hanukkah meals. When could you come pick it up?”_ Eliza offered eagerly.

“Whenever you’re available, I guess. I would have to wait until we explain things to Lydia and everything. I’ll text you?”

 _“Of course. I’ll get it out of the basement when I get home. Now, why don’t you tell me more about how you’re doing. I heard about you fighting that Maaldorian on the news. Are you alright?”_ Kara laughed, chatting with her adoptive mother and updating her on her and Lena’s life together. By the time she hung up, Fish was rolling over in the dirt, exposing his belly to his play mate and lolling his tongue out tiredly. Kara jogged over, introducing herself to the other dog’s owner, a man who lived alone in a smaller apartment two streets over. His dog, a young Shar Pei mix named Lola, loved playing with Fish but both were now tuckered out. Bidding the kind man goodbye, Kara put Fish back on his leash and took him home to find Christmas music blasting through speakers, Lena and Lydia dancing around in socks and Christmas sweaters as they put up some of the decorations. Mistletoe had been hung above doorways and garland strung with lights was on the stair railing. They seemed to be in the process of putting window decals on the living room windows that faced the sidewalk.

“Mama! You’re back!” Lydia squealed. “Now we can put up the outside lights!”

“We can?” Kara asked, raising an eyebrow at Lena.

“Mommy said you could do it when we got back!” she yelled, running over and hugging Kara around her thigh.

“Oh, she did, did she?” Kara chuckled.

“I did. I figured you are… less clumsy than I am. Much better for you to be up on the ladder than me,” Lena said, giving Kara a meaningful look. Kara nodded. “We should probably start getting them up a bit before it gets dark.”

“Happy to be of service,” Kara grinned, pulling on a hat and gloves before gathering up the things she’d need to hang up Christmas lights outside.

 

Two and a half hours later, Kara came back inside to Lena and Lydia setting the table, dinner simmering on the stove. Kara had hung white lights on the roof trimming and sides of the house. She hung more garland strung with white lights over the front door, and icicle lights hung from the windowsills. An inflatable snowman was waving from the small square of soil where their garden would go once spring came, and a glowing Santa with his sleigh and reindeer hung on the wall, flying and smiling. Kara had also added a hanukkiah light set flickering and glowing warmly. Now inside, Kara hummed and smiled at the scent of tacos, rice and beans, and a salad being tossed.

“Mama! Can we go see the lights outside?” Lydia asked excitedly.

“It’s almost dinnertime, little one. Eat first, and then we can go look,” Lena declared. Lydia pouted but sat down at the table without a word of protest. They kept the dinner table conversation light and teasing, neither Lena nor Kara talking about work during family meals. It only took a bit of prodding to get Lydia to eat all of her salad if she wanted to go look at the lights, then her plate was cleaned in mere minutes. Excited, Lydia struggled to slow down enough to pull on a coat and hat and gloves and boots before the family trekked outside to look at the lights.

“Wow!” Lydia gasped. Her head dropped back as she took in the whole house. She looked up and down the block to see the other lights before focusing back on their house. “Look! I can see the stickers we put up, Mommy! Hey, it’s Santa! And Rudolph! And all the reindeer! Mama, what’s that candle thingy? Why is it on our house?” Lydia asked, turning to Kara with a wrinkled brow.

“That’s called a hanukkiah, Lyd,” Kara said, squatting down next to Lydia.

“Okay,” Lydia nodded, quickly moving on. Kara had been prepared to bring them inside to have their conversation with Lydia about the slight adjustment to their holiday plans, but Lydia already moved on, asking dozens of other silly questions before they finally coaxed her back inside with the promise of cocoa and a Christmas movie on TV.

 

It took a few days for Kara to finally be able to sit down and talk to Lydia about Hanukkah. She wanted to do it when both she and Lena were there, but their schedules just hadn’t aligned well over the past few days. When Lena was at home on Sunday, Kara was off on Supergirl duty. When Kara was home with Lydia on Monday and Tuesday, Lena was working late at the office. Finally, they found some time together on a Wednesday, just after bath time but before Lydia would have to go to sleep.

“Lyd, sweetie, Mommy and I wanna talk to you,” Kara started.

“Am I in trouble?” Lydia asked, voice scared and eyes round.

“No, baby. Why, did you do something you shouldn’t have?” Lena teased, tickling Lydia’s side to make sure the girl understood she really wasn’t in trouble. Lydia just giggled shaking her head. “Good.”

“Are we moving again?” Lydia asked, trying to figure out why her moms were being so serious.

“No!” Kara laughed. “Now, do you wanna keep guessing or can we tell you what we want to talk about?” Lydia shrugged, nuzzling her face into Chewy before pointing to her moms. “Okay, thanks, sweetpea. Do you know what Hanukkah is, kiddo?” Lydia paused, scrunching up her nose.

“It’s a Jewish people holiday, right? Like David at school! He told us last year.”

“You’re right, it is. What do you know about it? Did David tell you anything about Hanukkah last year?” Kara prompted. Lydia shrugged, rubbing her eyes tiredly. Lena shifted her daughter so that she could comb and braid her hair while Kara led the conversation.

“I dunno, I don’t ‘member,” Lydia said.

“That’s okay. Hanukkah is sometimes called the Festival of Light. It’s a holiday that celebrates when the Jewish people got back something that was taken from them. Today, people celebrate with special candles, lights, games, and foods.”

“Like Christmas cookies?” Lydia asked, perking up a bit.

“Not exactly,” Kara chuckled. “More like… latkes and sufganiyot.”

“What’s that?”

“Potato pancakes and jelly donuts,” Kara explained with a grin.

“Cool!” Lydia cried happily. She paused, turning to look back at Lena. “Mommy, why didn’t we do Hanukkah? I like jelly donuts!”

“We didn’t do Hanukkah because, even though it’s got good foods and fun games and traditions, it’s mostly a religious holiday. That means it’s based on something that people believe about their God,” Lena explained.

“So why are we talking about it now?” Kara smiled, bopping Lydia’s nose with her finger.

“Such a smart little cookie. We’re talking about it because _I_ celebrate Hanukkah,” Kara explained. Lydia turned to look at her with wide eyes and Lena took the opportunity to restart Lydia’s braid.

“You do?”

“I do. Well, it’s been a little while since I last did, but your Mommy and I were talking, and we thought it would be nice if I could celebrate it again. Would that be alright with you?” Kara asked.

“Do I get to eat the jelly donuts?” Lydia countered. Both women laughed.

“Yes, you would get to eat a jelly donut,” Lena confirmed.

“Then I wanna celebrate Hank- Hanna- Hanukkah!” Lydia said, stumbling slightly over the word.

“Perfect,” Kara beamed. As soon as Lena tied off Lydia’s braid, Kara pulled her into a hug and kissed her cheek, leaning forward to kiss Lena’s cheek, too. When Lydia let out a dinosaur yawn while sandwiched between them, they disentangled from each other in order to put her to bed.

 

Not long after their conversation, Kara returned from a quick trip to Midvale bearing boxes of old family Hanukkah decorations and a few new things Eliza had insisted on purchasing and giving to her (“To start your own traditions and get Lydia into the spirit!” Eliza had said). By the time the first night of Hanukkah approached, she had put out the table runner and placemats, gotten ready for a dreidel game in the living room after dinner, and put the hanukkiah up in the dining room, displayed in a place of honor where it would also be safe from Lydia and Fish. The old hanukkiah was golden in color, nine candleholders with the center one an inch higher than the rest. The base had ornate designs and carvings, and there was a star of David in the middle of the center candle. Kara and Alex had both taken the day off together to cook the traditional foods; despite not wanting to continue the traditions of Hanukkah at her own house, she was happy to participate in Kara and Lena’s traditions, and Maggie and Jamie were set to join them just before dinner time. When Arya brought Fish and Lydia home from the park where they’d been playing, they found Kara wearing a blue and white sweater decorated with snowflakes, dreidels, stars of David, and a hanukkiah in the center and Alex in just a plain white sweater as they danced around to Britney Spears.

“Aunty Alex!” Lydia squealed, running across the kitchen and launching herself into the redhead’s arms. Immediately, Alex scooped her up and twirled her around as the little girl laughed.

“Nugget!” she cried, hugging Lydia tight before peppering her face with kisses.

“Did you make me a jelly donut?” Lydia asked, face deadly serious. Alex let her face drop into ‘Agent Danvers mode’.

“Yes, I did,” she said, her voice almost dangerously low.

“ _But_ , it’s for after we eat dinner,” Kara countered quickly, turning the oven to warm to keep everything nice and warm before walking over to Lydia, still in Alex’s arms. “No hug for me?” Immediately, Lydia held out her arms and clambered into Kara’s grasp, balancing on her hip and laying her head on Kara’s shoulder contently.

“Is Mommy gonna be here soon?” Lydia asked, squirming to be put back on the floor.

“In an hour. She’ll be home by the time that the sun goes down, I promise. Now, why don’t you go upstairs with Arya and change into your play clothes?” Kara suggested as Lydia’s feet touched the ground. She patted the little girl’s bottom, ushering her towards the stairs. “Arya, as soon as she’s changed and settled in the playroom, you can go on home early today,” Kara added. The middle-aged nanny nodded and smiled, thanking Kara before following Lydia upstairs. Kara and Alex get resettled into the familiar routine of frying latkes, baking the challah, setting the table together. By the time everything was ready, Maggie and Jamie had arrived and Lena was texting updates on how close she was. Alex was teaching Jamie, Maggie, and Lydia how to play dreidel quickly, buying some time until the front door opened and Lena rushed in, flustered, hair askew and cheeks still pink from the cold.

“Sorry, sorry! I got stuck in traffic on my way home. Do I have time to change or do we need to start?” Lena asked, breathless.

“Mommy!” Lydia cried, running up to hug her leg, leaving her little pile of chocolate coins ( _gelt_ , she remembered her aunty calling them) on the table.

“Hey, babe, relax. There’s no time table. You’re home, dinner is ready whenever we are. Why don’t you go upstairs and get dressed in something comfy while I get you a glass of wine, okay?” Kara said soothingly, wrapping Lena in a hug from behind. She kissed Lena’s neck once, just a peck, really, before shifting to massage some of the tension out of her shoulders.

“Okay,” Lena nodded, letting her eyes close as she took a deep breath. She kissed the top of Lydia’s head, waving to the Sawyer-Danvers clan before heading up to their bedroom. She returned a few minutes later dressed in black leggings, fuzzy blue socks with dreidels on them, and Kara’s oversized, frayed National City University sweatshirt. She took the glass of red wine from Kara with a warm smiled, placing it on the end table for a moment to pull her girlfriend into a proper kiss, cutting it short when she remembered everyone was still in the room.

“Alright, now we’re ready. Let’s go light the hanukkiah and have dinner,” Kara said. Immediately, everyone followed her into the dining room and they sat around the table as Kara placed the hanukkiah in the center. She placed the first candle all the way to the right of the hanukkiah and grabbed another candle for the center. “So, we add the candles to the hanukkiah from right to left like this because that’s the way you read a Hebrew text,” Kara explained.

“Why do they read it like that?” Lydia asked curiously.

“Baby, I’ll explain later. Let Mama finish this first, okay?” Lena whispered.

“It’s alright,” Kara said with a gentle smile. “I asked that at first, too. It has to do with the things people used to write with at the time that the language was invented. If you want, we can look it up for more details later.” Lydia nodded firmly. “Perfect. So, every night we light the shamash candle- that’s this center candle- first. Then we use this candle to light the other candles. Before I light the other candles, I say a special prayer in Hebrew. All you guys have to do is hold hands and be quiet for a minute while I do it. Lee, could you dim the lights a bit while I do this?”

“Of course,” she said, dimming the overhead lights. As soon as she sat, Kara lit the first candle and everyone quieted down their chatter, reaching for each other’s hands. Kara held the shamash candle and closed her eyes, pretending she was back on Krypton and praying to Rao with her parents.

Quietly, she began to sing the Hebrew prayers, “ _Barukh atah Rao, Eloheinu, melekh ha'olam asher kidishanu b'mitz'votav v'tzivanu l'had'lik neir shel Chanukah. (Amein). Barukh atah Rao, Eloheinu, melekh ha'olam she'asah Nisim la'avoteinu bayamim haheim baziman hazeh. (Amein). Barukh atah Rao, Eloheinu, melekh ha'olam shehecheyanu v'kiyimanu v'higi'anu laz'man hazeh. (Amein)_.” As soon as Kara finished the last prayer, she lit the candle, hearing Alex, Maggie, and Lena quietly repeat “Amen.” After a moment, Jamie did, too. Kara smiled warmly at her family as she opened her eyes.

“That was pretty, Mama,” Lydia said softly, eyes wide as she looked up at the woman. Kara blushed and shrugged. “What did it mean?” Immediately, Alex jumped in to translate, voice hoarse and eyes shining with unshed tears as she remembered how her dad used to recite those same prayers.

“Blessed are you, Lord, our God, sovereign of the universe who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to light the lights of Hanukkah, amen. Blessed are you, Lord, our God, sovereign of the universe who performed miracles for our ancestors in those days at this time, amen. Blessed are you, Lord, our God, sovereign of the universe who has kept us alive, sustained us and enabled us to reach this season. Amen.”

“Oh,” Lydia hummed. “Can I have my jelly donut yet?”

“No, Lyd. We’ve got to eat our dinner first,” Lena said sternly. Kara stood to move the hanukkiah to a higher shelf so that it could burn safely. As she brought out the food, Kara couldn’t help but feel warm and safe and happy, surrounded by her family.

 

After dinner, they played a few rounds of dreidel, letting Lydia eat some of her chocolate gelt and drinking cocoa before they all retired for the night, Alex, Maggie, and Jamie returning home while Kara and Lena put Lydia to bed. As they sat next to each other on the couch, Lena on her laptop to get work done and Kara reading the newspaper on her tablet, Lena sighed and snuggled into Kara’s shoulder. They stayed quiet, content to sit together and get work done. Kara couldn’t help but smile, feeling Rao’s presence here in this moment with her family.


	2. Make the Yuletide Gay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The L-Corp Christmas party, Christmas Eve, and Lydia being way too smart for her own good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to add a third chapter because this started to get too long so... enjoy!

The rest of Hanukkah continued much in the same way. Kara would do her best to cook recipes from Jeremiah’s family cookbook or the internet. Lydia would play dreidel and eat most of her chocolate coins before the night was over. Lena would watch attentively as Kara said the prayers and at nights she would snuggle next to her girlfriend warmly, happily. For the entirety of the holiday, Kara felt closer to Rao and closer to Krypton than she had in years.

“Thank you for this,” Kara whispered on the last night of Hanukkah, long after Lydia went to bed and they lay naked under the sheets, sweaty and sticky but so, so in love, curled up against each other.

“For what?” Lena hummed, quirking an eyebrow with a quick glance between their bodies. She knew Kara wasn’t talking about what they’d  _ just _ done, but still she liked to tease. Lena was rewarded with a pretty pink blush across Kara’s face.

“Well, yes, I suppose that. But I was thinking… For Hanukkah. For letting me… I haven’t done that in a long time- prayed, I mean. I haven’t talked to Rao or prayed to Them in a long time. It felt… good, I think. Like… like maybe I’m worthy of being the last true Kryptonian. Like I’m keeping our culture alive, I guess,” Kara said softly, slowly. Lena nodded, kissing Kara’s shoulder.

“You don’t have to stop just because Hanukkah is over. You can pray every night, every morning, however many times a day and at whatever time you want. Whatever you need, whatever you want. And- I know it’s not the same, I get that- but you could teach me about Krypton, if you’d like. I understand if you don’t want to, I just wanted to offer,” Lena backtracked quickly. Kara smiled and gave her a quick kiss, smiling through it.

“You’d really do that?” Kara asked, her voice soft and disbelieving.

“I’d do anything for you,” Lena said honestly, surprised with how… unsurprised she felt about admitting that. Kara beamed before suddenly turning shy.

“You really wouldn’t mind me praying before bed? Even though on Earth, people believe you can’t be religious if you’re a scientist?”

“I think it’s… attractive that you believe in something. And I know that most people think it’s either/or, but I don’t. I know plenty of people who believe in a deity that also understand the complex scientific workings of the world. They’re not incongruous ideas,” Lena said honestly. “And if you wanted to tell Lydia about Rao- if you wanted to pass on your culture and religion and knowledge- I wouldn’t mind in the slightest. So long as we wait until Lydia’s old enough to comprehend your secret.” Kara nodded, shifting slightly to tuck Lena’s head under her chin.

“You are the best, Lena Luthor,” Kara whispered, kissing her hair before yawning.

“No, Kara Zor-El,  _ you’re _ the best,” Lena countered sleepily. Kara just hummed and they held each other, lulled to sleep by the other’s heartbeat.

 

“Mama, why did the Santa in the lobby look different than the Santa we saw at the mall?” Lydia asked. As it was the last day before they let out for the holidays, the preschool had taken a field trip (a daunting challenge) to see  _ Frosty the Snowman _ and  _ Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer _ in the local theater at a special showing. Afterwards, the kids had cookies and cocoa in the lobby and took turns on Santa’s lap and parents took their kids home from there. Kara and Lydia were driving to Lena’s office when Lydia dropped this question on Kara. 

“What do you mean?” Kara asked to stall for time while she thought of an answer.

“Well, the Santa at the mall had blue eyes, but that Santa had brown eyes. And his skin was a little tanner. And he was taller. Why do they look different?” Kara bit her lip, cursing the keen eye Lydia had inherited from her mother.

“Well… Those are really good observations!” Kara praised. “You’re practically a detective like your Tia!” Lydia preened under the praise, kicking her feet happily and humming before remembering Kara hadn’t answered her question.

“But why?” Kara sighed.

“Because… that was a helper Santa,” Kara said, trying to come up with something Lena would approve of.

“A helper Santa? Like an elf?” 

“Kind of,” Kara decided. “Think about it: there’s a Santa in  _ every _ mall all over the place. That’s too much for just the one Santa, right? So, he needs some helpers. He asks some of his very best elves to be his helper Santas and they go out to hear kids’ Christmas wishes and then they go back to the North Pole and tell the big Santa.”

“Oh,” Lydia said simply. “But how does Santa get all over the world in one night?” Lydia continued. Kara sucked in her cheeks, trying to figure out how to answer this, mentally calculating how long it would take to get to L-Corp where they were meeting Lena (25 minutes, at least, with this traffic).

“Magic,” Kara said, hoping that answer would suffice. Apparently, it didn’t.

“But what  _ kinda _ magic?” Lydia persisted.

“Time magic, I bet,” Kara said, glancing in the rearview mirror to find Lydia watching her raptly. “I bet Santa can make time freeze so that he can get to every house. And maybe he has magic that makes his sleigh go super fast.”

“Oh. Cool,” Lydia said, smiling brightly.

“Can I put on the music now?” Kara asked.

“How does Santa get into the houses that don’t have a fireplace?” Lydia asked.

“Apparently not,” Kara muttered. After pausing for a moment, she continued, “I think he can walk through the front door, then.”

“But what about the alarm? And the lock?” Lydia continued.

“He’s got magic,” Kara reminded her. 

“But how does Santa know if I’ve been naughty or nice?”

“Wow, you’ve got a lot of questions, Lyd. Have you been saving all of these up?” Lydia nodded proudly. “Such a smart, inquisitive little bean. Do you know what that means?” Lydia shook her head. “Inquisitive is like… curious. It means you like to ask lots of questions. But… Santa knows because he’s got lots of helpers that report to him. Mommy and I can tell Santa, so can your teachers. He’s got elves and his helper Santas. He’s got lots of people on Team Santa that can help him keep an eye on people. Plus, he’s got his magic.”

“But what does Santa do for kids that are Jewish?” Lydia asked. “Like, does Santa come to David? Why? Does he go to people who don’t put out a tree or nothing?”

“Santa sometimes goes to Jewish friends if they want him to come and their parents ask Santa to come. And for the people who don’t put a tree or  _ anything _ \- not nothing, babe, it’s anything- well, I guess Santa gives those people good cheer and wishes them a nice day.” Kara glanced in the rearview mirror, hoping to see Lydia starting to crash into her afternoon nap.

“But why does Santa like milk and cookies? Doesn’t his belly hurt after so much milk and cookies?” Lydia asked, rubbing her eyes with her fist.

“He’s got a big belly, he’s got lots of room. And maybe he takes some of them back to the North Pole to share. Hey, Lyd, how about we save up your questions, and when we get to Mommy’s office, we can work on a letter to Santa to ask him these questions? And for now, you can close your eyes and listen to some Christmas music. By the time you open your eyes, we’ll probably be at the office,” Kara said, switching on her Christmas playlist. Lydia grunted, but closed her eyes and hummed along to the music, never quite falling asleep, but resting quietly.

 

“Mommy, Mommy! Look, we brought your dress for your party tonight!” Lydia squealed excitedly as she ran into her mother’s office. The first L-Corp holiday party since Lena had taken over and rebranded, Lena was incredibly nervous. She’d been at the office since before Lydia and Kara were even up for the morning and she was going to get ready here to make sure everything was running smoothly. It was a more casual affair than Lex and Lillian had done- they’d insisted on black tie, but Lena just wanted people to be comfortable and have a good time, so she’d planned an Ugly Sweater party with a contest for the ugliest sweater- and Lena was hoping people would truly embrace the fun new atmosphere she wanted to create.

“Oh, thank you so much, sweetheart. Are you excited for the party tonight?” Lena beamed, scooping Lydia up and holding her on her hip. Lydia nodded with a big smile. “Did Mama tell you that you get to stay up past your bedtime tonight?”

“I do?” Lydia said, her voice practically squealing with excitement.

“You do! Arya is going to be at this party tonight and she’s going to keep an eye on you and some of the other kids. There’ll be a few babysitters here tonight, actually. So, you can stay up and hang out at the party until ten, how’s that sound?”

“Wow! And I get dessert?” Lydia gasped.

“You do,” Kara confirmed, coming over to kiss Lena after dropping the dress on her desk.

“Ew, yuck,” Lydia giggled. When Kara and Lena pulled away, they found Lydia giggling with a wrinkled nose.

“Yuck? What do you mean yuck?” Kara teased, tickling Lydia until she squealed to be put down, running to stand by the Christmas tree in the office. It was a six foot tall fake tree, thick and lush and stuffed with air fresheners that made it smell like a real tree. Lena and Jess and Sam had spent a few hours decorating Lena’s office with wreaths, ribbons, and lights, and the tree had dozens of silver and gold bulb ornaments dangling perfectly from the ends of the branches.

“Mommy, why does Santa put presents under the tree?” Lydia asked curiously, having easily been distracted as she played with the plastic ornaments. Lena’s eyes widened and she looks to Kara for help.

“She’s been asking questions like this all afternoon,” Kara whispered in Lena’s ear. 

“Well, what-what do we say? I don’t know why we do that!” Lena hissed nervously.

“Mommy?” Lydia asked, brows furrowed.

“We don’t really know, lovebug,” Kara said. “It’s a tradition that people have done for a long time, but we never really looked up why we do it. Maybe that’s something you and I can do while Mommy gets ready for her party.”

“Oh, okay,” Lydia shrugged before skipping back over. She looked up at her mothers with a pout. “Do we  _ hafta _ go home? I wanna stay here with you, Mommy.”

“Oh, how could I say no to that face?” Lena cooed, cupping her daughter’s cheeks in her hands. “But your stuff is all at home and someone needs to feed Fish, right?” Lydia’s pout etched itself even deeper into her features.

“The doggy sitter feeds Fish today,” Lydia said. Kara bit her lip and leaned over to whisper in Lena’s ear.

“I actually brought our clothes with us in case you wanted us to help you with the last minute stuff. But, we could still go home if you prefer,” she admitted. Lena smiled and chuckled, shaking her head.

“Apparently, Mama thought ahead. She’s going to get your clothes from the car so that you guys can help me get ready. But-” Lena paused, holding up a hand to pause Lydia’s words. “But, if you are going to stay up late at this holiday party tonight, you need to take a nap.”

“Mommy, I sleeped in the car!” Lydia protested.

“Slept, not sleeped,” Kara corrected gently. Lydia huffed.

“I slept in the car!” Lydia corrected.

“For like, twenty minutes at most,” Kara added. “Is it even worth staying up late if you’re going to be tired or cranky?” Lydia grumbled fussily.

“Lydia, you can either lie down and rest for an hour, or you can leave the party with Arya and go to bed at your regular bedtime,” Lena said firmly. Lydia whined and pouted and lifted her foot as if to stomp, but thought better of it and stopped.

“Okay,” she sighed.

“That’s my good girl,” Lena beamed, kissing her forehead. “Are you comfy enough in these clothes to lie down?” Lydia nodded, rubbing her eye with the heel of her hand. “Okay, do you need Chewy? Is he in the car?”

“I’ll bring Chewy when I get the clothes. I’ll be back. Rest, my smart girl, okay? It’ll be fun tonight, I promise,” Kara said softly, kissing the top of Lydia’s head before grabbing the keys and jogging out the door towards the elevator to get to the parking garage. Meanwhile, Lena led Lydia to the white couch in her office, a plush red blanket with a white faux-fur trim draped over the back. She pulled off Lydia’s shoes and gave her a pillow, waiting until Lydia laid down and made herself comfortable before draping the blanket over her, gently tucking her in.

“What if I don’t fall asleep?” Lydia asked. Lena sat on the edge of the couch, stroking her daughter’s hair. 

“As long as you close your eyes and try to let your body and your mind rest, Mama and I will be happy. All we want is for you to try. Do you think it would help if I played some music?” Lydia hummed and nodded. Lena stood, dimming the lights as she went, and played soft, instrumental Christmas music from her computer. Lydia closed her eyes and curled her body, rolling over so that she was facing the couch. Lena smiled. “Honey, I’m going to step out for a minute to talk to my assistants. Will that be alright?”

“Mhmm,” Lydia hummed softly. Lena slipped out the door, quietly shutting it behind her, leaning against it for a moment before turning to her assistants.

“Ms. Luthor, what do you need?” Her primary assistant, an eager person named Ellis, asked. They stood, pen poised over their notebook. Her second assistant Reyna, a recent college graduate, also stood, but hesitated next to her desk, unsure what to do.

“My daughter is taking a nap in my office. Uh, well, she’s resting, actually. She might not sleep. But that’s not the point; the point is that I’m asking you to keep quiet for the next hour or so. Send me a text or call my office phone first. Kara will be in here with her, too, so please let her in without any difficulty. Now, as it were, how are the preparations for the party going?” As they gave Lena a run-down of the preparations, she smiled at Kara, waving to her as she quietly entered the office with Chewy and their outfits.

“So, everything is going according to plan. The conference hall will be ready,” Ellis said firmly. Lena crossed her arms over her chest, chewing on the inside of her cheek as anxiety bubbled up in her chest.

“And… people know that this isn’t the usual LuthorCorp party, right?”

“What do you mean, ma’am?” Reyna asked.

“First of all, you don’t have to call me ma’am. It makes me feel old,” Lena said kindly, wrinkling her nose and smiling. Reyna blushed and nodded. “But I mean… People know that this is an ugly sweater party, right? It’s about… it’s more about having fun this year. It’s definitely not as formal, and children are invited, and there’s going to be childcare there so parents won’t have to be watching their children all night, and the food is going to be more casual. It’s not… I’m just worried that people will show up expecting the same thing as years past and won’t enjoy themselves,” Lena rambled.

“Ms. Luthor, people are excited about the ugly sweaters. I’ve overheard people talking about it since the invitations went out. I’ve had my sweater planned for a week now. And we’ve been getting emails about childcare, so people definitely know it’s there. I think people are looking forward to your first major event here,” Reyna said, still a little tentative as if waiting for someone to cut her off.

“Good, good,” Lena sighed, shoulders slumping in relief. “Let me know when you’re going to go home to get ready. I’ll be in my office. And remember-”

“Lydia is resting, so we’ll make sure people aren’t noisy and keep disruptions to an absolute minimum,” Ellis confirmed, nodding at Lena. They smiled at her. “If you need anything else, we’ll be out here, Ms. Luthor. Oh, and the caterers just arrived and are setting up downstairs,” they added, checking their phone as a text came in.

“Thank you. Let them know I’ll be down in just a few minutes,” Lena said. Ellis and Reyna nodded, both going to sit behind their desks, Ellis still typing away on their phone as Lena slipped quietly into her office. She found Kara sitting at her desk reading the newspaper by the light of Lena’s computer screen.

“Hey,” she said softly, looking up from the paper.

“Hey,” Lena whispered, peeking at Lydia on the couch, nose twitching and feet kicking slightly, but her eyes were closed. “She asleep?”

“Barely. She fought it for a while and her breathing finally evened out like, three minutes ago, maybe?” Lena nodded, crossing the office and curling up to sit on Kara’s lap, laying her head on Kara’s shoulder.

“This is gonna be okay, right?” Lena said softly. Kara’s arms encircled Lena’s waist, holding her tight. She hummed and Kara could feel her nodding before she kissed her temple gently.

“What’s worrying you?”

“I just… There’s gonna be a lot of press here. It’s mostly… Of course it’s mostly a corporate celebration, but because this is… I mean, it’s my first big event and my first holiday party here and because of my family and our history, all eyes are on me. This is also the first event that Lydia is going to be present at. What if she gets overwhelmed? What if the press just… swarms her? I haven’t… I’ve been waiting to explain things to her about my adoptive family and the horrible things they did. I wanted her to be a little bit older. What if they… they might ask her or let it slip, and I’m just worried,” Lena whispered. “Everything I’ve done since I found out I was pregnant was to protect her from the media and the harsh spotlight that our last name brings out. I just… is it right to bring her into this? To bring other children?”

“You are doing everything you can to protect her. And I think the press that you said were coming- I mean, I don’t think they’re the type to combard kids. That’s mostly the paparazzi, right? I can talk to them when they get here, make sure they understand that the kids here are not here to be interviewed or photographed. They’re kids and they should be allowed to be kids. I mean, my cousin is friends with James Olsen, and he’s coming as the CatCo rep. He gets that, and maybe I could ask him to make sure the others do, too. And as for future kids… We can protect them, too. You’re a good mom, Lena, the  _ best _ . Lydia knows she’s loved and she has a good role model who works hard. It will all work out,” Kara said insistently, lifting Lena’s head off her shoulder and forcing her to make eye contact, cupping Lena’s cheeks in her hand to make sure she understood. Lena’s eyes were watering despite her smile.

“How do you always know exactly what I need to hear?” Lena whispered, voice rough. She sniffled, wiping her eyes.

“It’s my superpower,” Kara laughed, shrugging. 

“Among others,” Lena added, kissing Kara’s cheek.

“Among others,” Kara agreed. They giggled softly, holding each other for a moment, not caring that this is Lena’s office, that her employees could walk in and see her sitting on her girlfriend’s lap, that this is completely unprofessional. As soon as Lena was calm and her eyes were no longer red, she stood. Kissing Kara for a moment, she pulled away, pressing their foreheads together.

“I have to go make sure everything is ready downstairs. The caterers are setting up. And before you ask- yes, I will make sure there are enough potstickers for you.”

“You’re my favorite,” Kara whispered, kissing Lena once more before she pulled away to go downstairs and make sure everything was going well.

 

As time went on, Lydia woke up and she and Kara spent a while sitting and playing games in Lena’s office while the woman took care of things downstairs. Once she returned, Lena set Kara to fetching the boxes upon boxes of party favors and assembling the bags. Meanwhile in her office, Lena had Lydia help her by finding some crafts for the younger kids to do and pictures for them to color if they got bored. Once Lydia was set ‘testing out the pictures’, Lena realized she only had a little over an hour before the party started and started getting herself ready. 

“Mommy, you look pretty. I thought this was an ugly sweater party?” Lydia said while Lena was tending her curls, trying to tame them to appear soft and effortless. She paused in her efforts to send Lydia a heartwarming smile before putting the curler down and swooping in for a hug.

“You are such a sweet girl, you know that?” Lena whispered, kissing her daughter’s head. Lydia giggled before wriggling out of Lena’s grasp and going back to her coloring while Lena finished getting herself ready.

Kara returned after a while and took Lydia and her outfits to get themselves ready, leaving Lena alone and prepped for the party. Lena was dressed in a soft, cream-colored turtleneck short sleeve sweater dress. Along the neck, mid-section and trim of the dress were three rows of stitched snowflakes. Her chest displayed a row of reindeer and the skirt of the dress featured smaller designs that, from far away, looked like simple polka dots. Lena added a thick, red belt around her middle to dress up the outfit along with gray leggings, and maroon socks pulled up so that they were visible above her brown heeled boots. Her makeup was simple and understated, her hair curled into soft waves. Looking in the mirror, Lena thought she looked much younger than her usual CEO attire- she hadn’t quite decided if that was a good or bad thing, yet. Realizing it was almost time to start, Lena texted Kara that she’d meet her downstairs and hurried down to the conference hall to make the final preparations.

 

“Mama, I’m a jingle bell!” Lydia giggled, skipping and twirling. She was wearing an oversized green sweater with red sleeves and a reindeer wearing Santa’s beard on the chest, a hand-me-down from when Jamie had been six, so it hung much too large on the little girl. But Lydia wore it like a dress with black leggings and boots, her hair back in two braids. Kara had tied red and green ribbons in Lydia’s hair and affixed little bells on the ends of the ribbons, making the jingling noise Lydia was giggling about. 

Kara, meanwhile, wore jeans and a sweater with rows, each featuring a different winter theme including penguins, reindeers, Christmas trees, snowflakes, stockings and presents. Underneath, Kara wore a white button down, with the collar sticking out of the sweater and the sleeves hanging just past the sweater’s edges. She smiled at Lydia as they waited for the elevator to take them down to the party. “You are,” she agreed. “You know the rules for the party, right?” Lydia nodded, hopping into the elevator, she waited until the doors closed before rattling them off.

“Stay where Arya or a babysitter can see me. Listen to the babysitters. I gotta eat real dinner before I can have cookies. No fighting with other kids. And, and, um… I can’t remember the rest,” Lydia trailed off, unphased as the elevator made a few stops and picked up more employees on their way down, all dressed in sweaters with varying levels of fancy designs. In an effort to make more room, Kara picked up Lydia.

“You got almost all of them, such a smart girl,” Kara praised quietly. “The last one is just a reminder, really. If you start to get tired or cranky or fussy or just overwhelmed by everything, you find a grownup you trust and they’ll come get Mommy or me and we will take you home, got it, munchkin?”

“Got it.”

“Good girl. You’re gonna have fun, right?” As Lydia cheered that she would- making the entire elevator chuckle and smile- they reached the ground floor and everyone stepped out, walking together towards the conference hall. Kara put a squirming Lydia down on the ground so she could walk herself.

The large room was designed to hold hundreds of people during product demonstrations and all-staff meetings. Tonight, it was holding hundreds of employees as they danced, drank, ate, and made merry. In one corner of the room stood a towering Christmas tree decked out in white lights, tinsel, baubles of all shapes and colors, and candy canes. The walls were adorned with garland and there were a few hanukkiahs placed around the room. One area was dedicated as a dance floor and indeed, a few people were fooling around, trying to jive to the upbeat Christmas music. Servers circulated the room with trays of appetizers or drinks and in the center of the room were long banquet tables filled with food. Smaller round tables were scattered around the room, some half-filled with people who sat or stood around chatting. Everyone was smiling, and everyone was wearing a sweater of some sort from the people who wore solid-colors to the woman who dangled ornaments and tinsel off of herself to be a Christmas tree sweater.

“Wow!” Lydia gasped. Kara couldn’t help but agree.

“Remember to hold my hand,” Kara said, squeezing Lydia’s hand tight. With Kara’s super hearing, it didn’t take long to find Alex and Maggie sitting at a table, Lena’s guests there by Kara’s request. Both women wore matching rainbow sweaters that read “Ho Ho Homo.” After a moment of focusing, Kara found Jamie on the dance floor with a familiar face.

“Hey! What is Alison doing here?” Kara asked Alex, hugging her in greeting. On the dance floor, Jamie and Alison from the Christmas tree farm were dancing and giggling, blushing the entire time. Maggie chuckled and Alex rolled her eyes, huffing.

“Jamie asked her to come. We’re arguing over whether or not it’s a date. I say it totally is,” Maggie explained.

“And I say it’s not! They’re just kids!” Alex protested.

“How does Jamie even really know Alison?” Kara asked. Lydia, meanwhile, climbed onto a chair and started snacking on the crackers on Alex’s plate.

“When we went to get our tree,” Alex explained. “I guess they’re in the same school and they’d passed each other in the hall but didn’t recognize each other. When we got our tree, they realized they knew each other and they shared numbers and got to talking.”

“Non-stop texting,” Maggie added, resting a hand on the small of Alex’s back. “She asked yesterday if Alison could come to this party and I asked Lena and she said it was alright. So, what do you think, Kara? Is it a date or no?”

“Oh, it’s definitely a date,” Lena said, coming up behind Kara and kissing her cheek. “When we went to get our tree, you should’ve seen how flustered she was around Kara. Definitely a baby gay crush.” 

“She’s just a baby,” Alex protested.

“She’s growing up, Ally, let her be. For all we know, she doesn’t think it’s a date. If you want, we can talk to her about it later,” Maggie whispered, kissing her wife’s earlobe.

“I guess,” Alex sighed softly. 

“Mommy, I’m hungry,” Lydia whined suddenly, redirecting everyone’s attention. She had polished off all of Alex’s crackers and was now sitting on her knees, looking around as if for more food.

“Okay, munchkin. We can get you some food from the buffet table, but do you want to go hang out with Arya and some of the other kids? Make some new friends?” Kara offered. Lydia shrugged.

“I guess.” 

“What a brave girl,” Lena praised, taking Lydia by the hand. Kara took her other hand and they led her to the buffet table, piling a plate with pizza, calzones, potstickers, and fruit salad (at Lena’s insistence). They walked her over to the corner tables where five different babysitters were stationed, watching kids of various ages as the younger ones played and ate and colored and the older ones texted or took selfies of their food and their friends. Before Lena could get Arya’s attention, they were interrupted by a tall, handsome, well-built man with a camera and a press pass around his neck.

“Jimmy, hey,” Kara said warmly.

“Hi, Kara. Ms. Luthor. I was wondering if I could interest you guys in a family picture?” he offered. Lena tensed, gripping Lydia’s hand and drawing her a little closer to Lena’s body.

“We already have event photographers, Mr. Olsen. If you wanted a picture for your story, it would have been better not to lie,” Lena said firmly, her voice taut with anxiety. Kara’s hand on her back stilled Lena, immediately helping to calm her nerves. She leaned in to whisper in Lena’s ear, her body effectively blocking Lydia from James’ sight, a fact which certainly helped ease Lena’s fears.

“Lee, I’ve known James since I came to this planet. He’s Clark’s best friend, and he’s a good guy. He wouldn’t lie, and he certainly doesn’t exploit children just to make a headline,” Kara said softly. Lena inhaled deeply through her nose. “Just give him a chance?” Lena nodded once and Kara gave her a peck on the cheek, pulling back to grin at her girlfriend.

“Ms. Luthor, I assure you, I meant no harm in asking for a picture. If I wanted a posed photo of you for the article, it wouldn’t involve your daughter unless you wanted it to. I understand how harmful it can be when kids are thrust into the spotlight and harassed by the press. I only asked because I’ve been an event photographer before and I know how difficult it can be to be everywhere all the time and often, you miss some of the important shots like a picture of the host and her family,” James said earnestly. Lena, hearing the genuine concern and honesty in his tone, smiled apologetically.

“I’m afraid I must apologize, Mr. Olsen. It seems my protective instincts kicked in too quick. We would love a photo. Here, Lyd, put your food down and smile for the picture,” Lena instructed. Kara pulled Lena close, an arm around her waist and Lena folded into her, tilting her head slightly to rest gently on Kara’s shoulder, her arm around Kara’s back. Both of their free hands were on Lydia’s shoulder, pulling her close to them. James snapped a few pictures before stepping back.

“These came out great! You have a very pretty smile, Lydia,” James said. Lydia blushed and thanked him quietly. Bidding him goodbye and thanking him for the picture, Lena quietly asked that he send them to her assistants and requested that Lydia’s image not be in any official articles. He assured her that her daughter wouldn’t appear in the newspapers or online articles before heading out to enjoy more of the party. Leaving Lydia with Arya and the children of some other employees- Ruby Arias included- Kara and Lena headed back towards their table. It wasn’t long before Lena was sidetracked by some employee or another and headed off to socialize. Back at the table, Kara chuckled to herself as Jamie and Alison were sitting at the table, chairs pulled close enough that their knees knocked together each time one of them moved. Alex and Maggie must have wandered off, leaving the two preteens alone.

“Hey, Alison! Good to see you again,” Kara greeted. Looking up, Alison’s cheeks turned pink.

“Um, h-hi Kara, you l-look really p-pretty tonight,” she stammered nervously, glancing back at a confused Jamie.

“Thank you, Alison, you look nice as well. I see you know my niece, Jamie. She’s a great kid, isn’t she?” Alison nodded, her gaze burning a hole in her lap. “I’m glad you guys are close. It’s funny, isn’t it? You guys were at the same school and never realized you knew each other!”

“Well, I thought Alison looked familiar, I just wasn’t sure,” Jamie admitted.

“Really?” Alison asked, voice tender and just a little insecure.

“Of course!” Jamie said sincerely, leaning forward to put her hand on Alison’s knee. Both girls stared at each other for a long, loaded moment, cheeks pink and eyes bright.

“That’s sweet,” Kara interrupted. Both girls whipped their heads to look at her as if they had momentarily forgotten she was there. Their cheeks turned bright red and Jamie quickly removed her hand as if Alison had burned her. After a pause, Jamie looked up at Kara.

“Aunt Kara, maybe you could go find my moms? I haven’t seen them since they went to go find something to drink,” Jamie said, her tone leaving little room to argue- Kara knew she must have been channeling Alex and her  _ ‘I could kill you six different ways with my index finger _ ’ vibe.

“You trying to get rid of me, kid?” Kara teased, gently ruffling Jamie’s straightened hair so as not to actually mess it up before she stood. “I get it, I get it. Adults are no fun. I’ll be back in a little bit, you kids have fun,” Kara grinned, winking over her shoulder as she went off to join the party and hopefully find her sister to break the news that this was  _ definitely _ a date.

 

The rest of the night passed in a blur of dancing, food, drinks, and mingling. Lena gave a speech thanking all of the employees for their hard work during this transitional year and gifting them each with an additional week of paid vacation to be taken at their leisure. Lena then judged the ugly sweater contest, awarding the winners with baskets of cookies, cocoa, and restaurant gift certificates. As the end of the night approached, people started to go home and take their party favors. Lena stood by the door to bid each employee and their family a personal and sincere farewell, knowing each one’s name. Kara, meanwhile, was gathering all of their things, including a sleeping Lydia.

“Aw, poor little one got all tuckered out,” Maggie cooed softly, buttoning her coat. Alex was smiling, glancing between Lydia sleeping in Kara’s arms and a yawning Jamie and Alison who were leaning against each other. “This was a really fun night. Thanks for letting us all come.”

“Yeah, of course! I had to have someone here to talk to while Lena socialized with her entire company,” Kara joked. “And it was really great to see you again, Alison. Did you have a good time?” Alison nodded, stifling a yawn.

“I think we should go. We told Ali’s parents we’d have her home soon. We’ll see you on Christmas at Eliza’s house, okay?” Alex said, hugging Kara and kissing Lydia’s temple. Maggie did the same and Jamie and Alison waved goodbye as they made their way out. Kara kissed Lena’s cheek as she came over to stand next to her, smiling and nodding at the remaining employees as they walked out.

“You want me to wait in your office while you finish up?” Kara asked.

“No, no, my driver is here. He said his gift to me is driving me home so that you can take Lydia home. He said she’s like his granddaughter and he wants her to get a good night’s sleep,” Lena smiled fondly, waving to Hector who was waiting nearby for Lena to signal she was almost ready to go.

“Your employees must really love you,” Kara laughed.

“Ms. Luthor treats us all well, and we appreciate it,” someone said as they grabbed their favor.

“Oh, Penelope, thank you so much. Did you have a good time? Where’s your husband? Was his knee acting up again?” Lena asked concern etched over her features.

“See? She knows all of us. Ay, Ms. Luthor, he brought the car around so I wouldn’t walk in the cold. Do you know all of your employees at every branch?” The older woman teased.

“Not all, but I’m working on it. You have a nice night and a nice holiday, alright?” Lena smiled, waving as the woman walked away. Lena turned to Kara. “I’ll see you at home in a bit?”

“Of course. Love you, let me know when you’re on your way,” Kara said softly, leaning in to kiss her. They lingered in the kiss for a moment before Lena smiled and pulled away.

“Love you,” she whispered, kissing Lydia’s temple and stroking her hair. Waving, Kara walked out to head to the car, pulling Lydia’s jacket tighter around her to protect from the wind.

 

“Mommy, Mama, Santa’s coming tonight! How am I s’posed to sleep?” Lydia giggled, dancing around their living room. Fish was chasing after her, barking happily and jumping up to lick her face while she laughed and twirled around. Kara and Lena just sat on the couch, festive mugs of warm cocoa pressed into their hands. They all wore Christmas pajamas and fuzzy socks that Kara had picked up from Target, and the women were hoping that after a warm bath and some warm milk and cocoa, Lydia would calm down.

“Darling, remind me how morally reprehensible it is to give your child drugs to get them to sleep,” Lena muttered, watching Lydia prance around the room with no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Kara laughed and snuggled closer to Lena, hugging her around the shoulders.

“Aw, babe, it’s Christmas Eve, you know kids don’t sleep when Santa’s coming,” Kara said through her smile.

“Ah, you’re right,” Lena remarked drily. “Must be my  _ Luthor genes _ showing through,” she teased. Kara rolled her eyes playfully.

“You know she’s going to tire herself out anyway,” Kara sing-songed at her. To Lydia, still running around the room, she added, “and besides, Santa doesn’t come until kids are asleep anyway.”

“No,” Lydia whined, stopping in her running, panting heavily. “I can’t sleep! Is Santa never gonna come?” She stomped her foot and Fish barked, going down on his forelegs, butt still in the air and tail wagging.

“Fish, relax, bud,” Kara said, patting the side of the couch. The dog came trotting over and sat next to her with his head perched on Kara’s knee waiting for her to keep petting him. “Can you believe the animal rescue people thought you weren’t a good boy? They said you were too energetic for a working family,” she cooed. Lena just sighed and turned back to a pouting Lydia.

“He only comes if you’re sleeping, and he knows when you’re awake, remember the song?” Lena said.

“But how?” Lydia asked. Lena clenched her jaw;  _ why did her kid have to be so smart? She asked such good questions. _

“Santa magic. Plus, he texts me and Mommy to ask us and make sure you’re sleeping before he comes,” Kara supplied.

“When do I gotta sleep?” Lydia asked with a yawn.

“I think you should go to bed now so you can get comfy,” Lena countered, standing and holding out a hand for Lydia.

“No, can’t we track Santa first to see where he is? Maybe I’ve got more time!” Lydia bargained.

“We can check, sweetie, but no matter what it says, you’ve gotta get to bed soon. And if you get in your bed right after we check the Santa tracker with no fighting, Mama and I will read you  _ four _ stories, okay?” Lydia nodded, climbing onto the couch as Lena pulled up the Santa tracker website on her phone.

“Look, see, it says he’s over Peru. That’s in South America, right here. That means he’s going to start coming up North to America in a bit, which means you need to be in bed, right love?” Kara explained, pointing to the screen.

“Right! Can we read Christmas stories?” Lydia asked eagerly, hopping off the couch.

“Um, of course!” Lena laughed, grabbing her daughter’s hand and leading her to the bathroom. “While you go pee and start brushing your teeth, Mama and I will pick out some books to read, okay? And remember- to get  _ all _ of the sugar bugs, Mama or I has to check your teeth.”

“Okay, okay, okay, get out, out, out! I gotta pee,” Lydia squawked, shooing her mother out of the bathroom as she danced in place. Lena just rolled her eyes and followed Kara to Lydia’s bedroom. After a few minutes, once Lena had checked Lydia’s teeth and gave them one final once over with the toothbrush and she had a bottle of water next to her bed and she was tucked under the covers, Lena and Kara sat next to her on either side. Kara read  _ The Grinch _ and Lena read  _ The Polar Express _ and Lydia yawned through them both, but kept her eyes open.

“You sure you can make it through two more, peanut?” Kara asked, brushing a hand through Lydia’s hair. She nodded stubbornly, letting out a little whine. “Okay, okay. These last two are shorter, I promise. And remember; when you wake up, it’ll be Christmas!” Lydia nodded, smiling. Lena read some book about a llama’s Christmas drama, making Lydia laugh even as her eyes started to close. Finally, Lena grabbed her favorite book. She and Kara both realized Lydia would likely be asleep before they finished it, but they opened the book and started reading anyway.

“T’was the night before Christmas when all through the house, not a creature was stirring- not even a mouse!” Kara began in a soft voice, still reading with emotion and drama. Lydia’s eyes started to close. She continued, “The stockings were hung by the chimney with care in hopes that Saint Nicholas soon would be there!”

“The children were nestled all snug in their beds while visions of sugar plums danced in their heads. And Mama in her kerchief and I in my cap had just settled down for a long winter’s nap,” Lena continued.

“Mm, wha’s a kerchief, Mommy?” Lydia asked sleepily.

“Like a little sleeping hat, I think. Shhh, baby, just listen now,” Lena said, kissing her forehead. Lydia nodded, eyes still closed. “When out on the lawn, there arose such a clatter, I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter! Away to the window, I flew like a flash, tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.”

“The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow gave the luster of midday to objects below, when what to my wondering eye should appear but a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer!” Kara continued. “With a little old driver so lively and quick, I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick! More rapid than eagles, his coursers they came and he whistled and shouted and called them by name.”

“Now Dasher, now Dancer, now- who comes next, Lyd?” Lena prodded the sleepy girl.

“Prancer and Vixen,” she responded, snuggling Chewy and Moony close to her chest with her casted arm.

“Oh, silly me, how could I forget?” Lena laughed. “Now Prancer and Vixen! On Comet and Cupid, on Donner and Blitzen! To the top of the porch, to the top of the wall, now dash away- dash away- dash away all! As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly, when meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky, so up to the house-top his coursers they flew, with a sleigh full of toys- and Saint Nicholas, too!”

“And then in a twinkling, I heard on the roof the prancing and pawing of each little hoof. As I drew in my hand and was turning around, down the chimney Saint Nicholas came with a bound. He was dressed all in fur from his head to his foot and his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot. A bundle of toys he had flung on his back, and he looked like a peddler just opening his pack,” Kara read. Looking down at Lydia, she mouthed over Lydia’s head, “she’s asleep.” Lena nodded, but continued reading.

“His eyes- how they twinkled! His dimples- how merry! His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry. His droll little mouth was drawn up with a bow and the beard on his chin was as white as the snow. The stump of a pump he held tight in his teeth and the smoke, it encircled his head like a wreath. He had a broad face and a round little belly that shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly.” Kara smiled warmly at Lena as she read the next few pages.

“He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf, and I laughed when I saw him in spite of myself. A wink of his eye and a twist of his head soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread. He spoke not a word but went to his work, and filled all the stockings then turned with a jerk, and laying his finger aside of his nose and giving a nod, up the chimney he rose.” She turned to the last page and made eye contact over Kara’s head, tilting her head to the side, eyes softening as she mouthed, “together?” Kara nodded, beaming.

Together, they quietly read, “he sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle and away they all flew like the down of a thistle. But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight: happy Christmas to all and to all a good night.” Lena and Kara kissed her head, climbing awkwardly out of the bed and Fish immediately hopped up, taking their place and curling up with Lydia as they stood in the doorway, watching her for just a moment.

“Thank you,” Lena said softly as they left to go get the presents out of the storage closet where they were hidden. Kara tilted her head curiously and though Lena wasn’t looking at her, Kara knew she knew. She elaborate, “um, I mean, for reading that whole thing with me? I just- I’ve never had great Christmas memories from growing up. I have… fuzzy memories of when I was three, before I was adopted. But I don’t know if those are even real. Then it was just… cold greetings and stiff, formal dinners and boring parties. I got nice presents, sure, but there were no silly family traditions or happy memories, really. The only happy memories I have from that house are those I had with Lex, and they’re tainted now. But… I’m trying to give Lydia those traditions and those… good memories. One of the traditions I’ve established is reading  _ T’was the Night Before Christmas _ with her every year on Christmas Eve. I know she won’t remember those first few years, but I want to continue it for as long as I can. So just… thank you for letting me do that.”

“Of course, Lena. You don’t have to justify these things. It would’ve been just as valid a reason as if you had said you liked the poem and wanted to finish it; that was why I was going to ask you to keep reading anyway,” Kara admitted with a goofy smile. Lena just rolled her eyes and pulled Kara in for a kiss. When she pulled away, she looked up pointedly. “Mistletoe,” she said with a smirk.

“You’re so weird, Luthor,” Kara laughed.

“You love it, Zor-El,” Lena retorted, sashaying into the storage closet to start bringing out the gifts. Kara just rolled her eyes and laughed again.

Quietly, to herself, she added, “Yeah, I really, really do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will include: more Christmas Eve fluff, Christmas Day celebrations, and New Year's!


	3. ...And A Happy New Year!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final installment of our holiday fic! Enjoy Christmas Day and New Years with the Luthor-Danvers-Sawyer Clan and their friends and family.

“I still don’t understand why we couldn’t just have the shape-shifting Martian come and pose as Santa Claus,” Kara grumbled as she adjusted the beard and the fake belly. Lena had insisted on the outfit and Kara, unable to say no to the woman’s pout, had donned the red coat and pants along with the mask Lena had modified to make her face appear rounder, older, and more jolly.

“Because Fish would bark at a stranger coming in. But he won’t bark if he just hears his Mama walking around,” Lena said, straightening out Kara’s belt. She tugged on Kara’s beard, quirking her eyebrow suggestively. “Besides… I think you look cute.”

“Didn’t know you had a Santa kink, Lee,” Kara teased, shouldering the red velvet sack of presents over her shoulder. Lena rolled her eyes and laughed, getting the phone ready. She held it while crouched on the staircase where Lydia had insisted on hiding a camera- “to catch Santa, Mommy! We wanna know what he looks like!”- before gesturing for Kara to lay the presents down. Lena took a few pictures of Santa’s profile stuffing the stocking and from behind as Kara put the first few presents under the tree. Once she was done with the pictures, Lena put her phone down and went to help Kara arrange them the way she wanted.

“Well, Santa, I do believe we’ve made a little girl very, very happy,” Lena grinned as they surveyed their handiwork. Part of Lena felt guilty about spoiling her daughter, but they had a long talk with Lydia and she agreed to donate some of her toys to kids who needed it after Christmas was over, and they had tried to explain the importance of charity and generosity to her.

“That we have, Ms. Luthor. Now, have  _ you _ been a good girl this year? Or are you on my naughty list?” Kara teased, stepping forward and forcing Lena to walk a few steps backward. When she stumbled, Kara’s strong hands immediately found purchase on her hips, steadying her.

“I don’t know, Santa, you tell me,” Lena whispered, voice an octave lower. She glanced up, biting her lower lip. “Uh-oh, Santa. Mistletoe.” Kara smiled triumphantly.

“Mistletoe,” she confirmed. “You know the Christmas rules.”

“I do. But I’m a taken woman. Wouldn’t kissing you put me on the naughty list?” Kara’s cheeks reddened at the way this conversation played out, but she didn’t hesitate.

“It would. But I guess your girlfriend will just have to deal with that tomorrow night.” Lena’s heart flew into her throat.

“I-I guess she will,” Lena choked out, cheeks flaming and blushing down to her chest. Kara smirked at her before leaning in for a kiss. They stood there for a moment before Lena slipped her tongue into Kara’s mouth. They stood there, holding each other tightly as they kissed, neither noticing the little girl with her mouth wide open as she stared at her Mommy kissing Santa Claus. No one noticed, that is, until Lydia’s cast thumped loudly against the railing when Lydia tried to silently go back upstairs. Both mothers jumped apart, blushing before they turned to look at her. Discovered, Lydia made her way down the stairs, looking disapprovingly at the two women.

“Mommy, you were kissing Santa Claus!” Lydia accused.

“I-I- yeah,” Lena stammered, her blush spreading all the way down her chest.

“Miss Lydia, I do hope you’re not angry at your Mommy. She was helping me with the presents when we got caught under the mistletoe- and you know the rules about mistletoe, right?” Kara said, trying to make her voice deeper.

“Mama says you don’t  _ have to _ kiss someone you don’t want to, even if you are under the mistletoe,” Lydia said, face scrunched up in disapproval. Part of Kara and Lena were screaming in approval that their daughter was actually absorbing their lessons about consent. Another part was screaming because that made this discussion that much more complicated.

“It doesn’t mean I don’t love Mama,” Lena said earnestly. “It just means that… That I love Christmas, and I love Santa. And I did want to kiss Santa under this mistletoe.”

“What about Mrs. Claus?” Lydia asked eyes narrowed.  _ Seriously, _ Lena thought to herself,  _ I love how smart my kid is, but now really isn’t the time. _

“Mrs. Claus knows that I love her,” Kara assured Lydia. “And she knows that sometimes parents who love Christmas want to give Santa a kiss under the mistletoe. Now, why don’t you and I have some milk and you can go back to bed?” Kara offered. Lydia regarded Kara suspiciously for a moment before nodding and smiling.

“Okay!” Lena and Kara both breathed a sigh of relief.

 

“That was-”

“Mortifying?” Lena laughed as they shut their bedroom door. After a glass of warm milk and a sing-along with Santa, Lydia fell back asleep. Kara and Lena quickly rushed to their bedroom where Kara shed the costume, laughing breathlessly.

“Definitely. And awkward. And  _ close _ ! That kid is too smart for her own good- I swear, one of these days she’s going to figure this whole thing out,” Kara smiled. Lena groaned as she collapsed on the bed.

“Don’t remind me. I just want her to be little and innocent forever,” she whined. Kara smiled and climbed into bed next to her, cuddling up.

“I know, so do I. But let’s not worry about that. Let’s just… keep the magic of Christmas alive for as long as we can, okay?” Kara whispered, kissing Lena’s neck. Sighing, Lena agreed. She hesitated a moment, grinning slyly, before reaching behind her and pinching Kara’s ass.

“Hey!” Kara yelped. Lena just laughed, knowing it couldn’t actually hurt her.

“ _ That _ was for all that naughty list crap. If you hadn’t been flirting with me like that, we wouldn’t have been caught by our daughter!” 

“Well sorry, but when you just look so damn hot, I can’t help myself,” Kara growled lowly. Lena smirked, leaning her head back on Kara’s shoulder.

“Whatever you say,  _ Mr. Claus _ ,” Lena teased. She turned to kiss Kara’s cheek before nestling her ear up against Kara’s chest, listening to her girlfriend’s heartbeat lull her to sleep.

 

The next morning, Lena was awoken by a knee in her stomach and Kara was awoken by a cold nose on her cheek.

“Mommy, Mama, wake up! It’s Christmas! Santa came, he came and he left presents! Wake up, wake up, wake up!” Lydia shouted, jumping on the bed. Lena groaned, the wind knocked out of her and coughed. Kara, meanwhile, sat up and pulled a squirming Lydia onto her lap. 

“Ohhh, good morning, sweetheart. What time is it?” Kara rasped. Lydia shrugged, struggling to break Kara’s grip around her waist so she could tug her mothers downstairs to the tree.

“Quarter past five,” Lena croaked, checking her phone.

“Oh, so early, munchkin. Why don’t we just rest for a few minutes?” Kara suggested. Lydia shook her head.

“No, Mama, too ‘cited! It’s Christmas!” Lydia giggled, wiggling on Kara’s lap.

“Oh, it’s no use, Kara. Lydia is a Christmas fiend. Someone should go make coffee,” Lena said, rolling over and smiling sleepily up at Kara.

“Oh, are you hinting? Is it me? Am I the someone?” Kara teased, bending over to kiss Lena. 

“I’ll help, Mama! I’ll help!” Lydia said, jumping off the bed and bouncing into place as Kara pulled herself up from the bed. She kissed Lena quickly before running down the stairs to follow Lydia. “Look at the presents!” she squealed, pointing to the pile of colorfully wrapped presents sitting under the tree. They had tried not to spoil her, but it was a difficult task and she ended up with a few more toys than she really  _ needed _ .

“Yeah! Santa brought them. But sweetheart, we have to go make Mommy’s coffee before we open any presents,” Kara reminded her. Suddenly, Lydia paused, the smile sliding off her face. “Hey, what’s wrong, baby girl?”

“Mama, do you and Mommy love each other still?” she asked, her voice small and scared.

“Well, of course, we do. Why are you asking?” Lydia stayed in her spot, toes overlapping as she stared at her feet. “Lydia?”

“I… Would you still love Mommy even if she kissed someone else?” Kara had to bite back a laugh, now realizing why Lydia seemed so nervous. 

“Lyd, why don’t you tell Mama what’s going on? I can’t help you feel better if you don’t talk to me.” Kara knelt down on the ground, waiting patiently as Lydia gathered her words, still staring at the ground and swaying slightly, her hands clasped behind her back.

“I… I woke up last night a’cause I heard Santa, I thought. I came down to see him and make sure he had enough cookies and milk and… and I wanted to see the presents. But I saw… I saw Mommy kissing him,” she explained. Without her super hearing, Kara isn’t confident she’d have been able to hear the confession.

“Oh, my little star, you don’t need to be worried about this at all,” Kara assured her.

“I don’t?” Lydia’s voice sounded suddenly more hopeful.

“You don’t. Because Mommy and I talked about this last night. I went downstairs, too, and I saw Santa. And I kissed him underneath the mistletoe just like Mommy did. We just love Christmas so much and we were so grateful that he brought you such nice presents that we kissed him. And then, we kissed each other and went back to bed. We still love each other very much, and you don’t have to worry about that at all, okay?” Kara explained.

“Promise?” Lydia asked. Kara grinned, holding out her pinky.

“Pinky swear.” Lydia accepted the pinky and they shook on it. “Now, do you think we can go make Mommy her coffee so we can come open these presents?” Lydia squealed, running into the kitchen to help Kara make the coffee (mostly just watching and helping to pick out a Christmas mug) before they made their way into the living room to find Lena and Fish already sitting on the couch, yawning and snuggled together as they waited for their family to join them. Lydia shouted in delight, running over to hug her mother before running back to look at her presents.

 

Half an hour later and they were buried under a mountain of torn wrapping paper, discarded ribbons, and shredded tissue paper. Lydia had opened her presents, and Lena and Kara had exchanged their own gifts to each other, both nearly making the other sob at how thoughtful they were. Lydia’s gifts had been piled out; her more practical, cheaper gifts were tagged ‘from Santa’ while Lena and Kara took credit for the more extravagant gifts. Lena had explained to a confused Kara that she wanted Lydia to understand that Santa was only responsible for some of the gifts and Lena and Kara’s money bought the nicer gifts. She didn’t want her little girl to grow up spoiled by the idea of Santa; if anyone were to spoil her child, it would be her, not some fictional old man. Once the presents were opened, they sat snuggled on the couch together, watching Lydia play with her new Lego set.

“What time do we have to leave for your mom’s?” Lena asked, yawning despite the two cups of coffee she’d had.

“Mmmm, we can get there anytime, really. Dinner is at two. Alex and Maggie usually get there by noon because Maggie likes to help cook and Eliza likes to see Jamie open her presents. It’s a four and a half hour drive to Midvale, so… Wanna leave in two hours? That gives us time to eat breakfast, shower, get dressed, and still leaves time for traffic and a second breakfast stop on the way.”

“Second breakfast? I wasn’t aware we were Hobbits,” Lena teased.

“No, but I am a Kryptonian. We have seconds and thirds of every meal. I consume at least 10,000 calories every day, Lee, remember?” Kara said with a teasing grin. She kissed her girlfriend’s nose.

“Silly me, how could I forget?” Lena kissed Kara one more time before getting up to start breakfast. “Lyd, you’ve got ten minutes until breakfast. Then we’re getting ready to leave for Midvale, okay?” Lydia nodded, too intent on building a soccer field to respond verbally.

An hour and forty-five minutes later found them freshly showered, hair combed, and dressed in jeans and matching reindeer sweaters (a yearly tradition, Kara had promised), and they were finally ready to get going. Lydia was pouting about leaving all of her toys behind, so her moms had compromised by letting her bring her new baby doll and her legos to play with before dinner. Lena had buckled her into her seat before putting a movie into the backseat disc player before climbing into the front seat for the long ride.

 

They arrived at the house in Midvale and Lydia was immediately enchanted by the big backyard, the white picket fence, the porch swing, the back deck that wrapped around, and the view of the ocean. 

“Mommy, Mama, look! It’s the beach!” Lydia gasped, pointing out towards the water. Kara quickly grabbed the back of Lydia’s coat as she tried to run towards it for a closer look.

“Not safe, bubs. I know you’re excited, but we have to be safe, too. We can get a closer look at the water later, okay? For now, let’s just go meet my adoptive mom, okay?” Kara explained, scooping Lydia up unto her hip. As they headed to grab their offerings from the trunk- a crockpot full of mashed potatoes just waiting to be cooked, along with their presents for everyone- Alex and Eliza came out to greet them. Immediately, Lydia crawling into her Auntie’s waiting hug.

“Lena, Kara, how are you? How was the drive?” Eliza asked, kissing her girls on the cheek in greeting and listening to their promises of an easy ride before turning to introduce herself to Lydia. “Well, hello there,” she smiled as Lydia hid her face in Alex’s shoulder, suddenly shy.

“Hi,” Lydia whispered, turning her head to peek out at Eliza.

“Do you know who I am?” Eliza asked kindly, keeping her voice soft and her words friendly. Lydia nodded. “I’m Kara’s adoptive mom. She explained what that means, right?”

“Mhmm,” she nodded. “It means when she was a kid, her mommy and daddy had to give her away even though they loved her very much ‘cause she couldn’t stay with them anymore or she would get hurt. So you took care of her like a mommy, even though she doesn’t call you Mom,” Lydia recited.

“That’s right,” Eliza confirmed. “I love your Mama just like I love my daughter Alex. They’re both my daughters. And so is Maggie, and I love your Mommy like a daughter, too.” Lena tried to stifle her surprised gasp, not used to mother figures accepting her and loving her so readily.

“When's lunch?” Lydia asked. The women in the driveway burst out laughing, leading their party inside to join Maggie and Jamie who were pulling a green bean casserole out of the oven and checking the meat thermometer on a roast. Lena kept Lydia busy by building her Legos with her while Maggie, Jamie, and Eliza finished the cooking in the kitchen. Alex and Kara set the table and bickered before they finally sat down together, toasting the holiday (with water, juice, and sodas all around), finally serving themselves and settling into their meal.

“Nana, can you pass the butter please?” Jamie asked once they sat down for lunch (or dinner, however you chose to look at it). Lydia wrinkled her brow and tilted her head to the side, watching as Eliza passed the butter plate down to her.

“You call her Nana? Like a banana?” Lydia asked, wrinkling her nose in confusion. All of the adults at the table laughed and Lydia blushed under everyone’s attention, not understanding what’s so funny.

“No, goofball,” Jamie laughed. “Nana is a name for a grandma. There are lots of different names for grandparents, just like people have lots of different names for their parents.” Lydia picked at her bread.

“But… why’s she your Nana?”

“Because she’s my mom’s mom. She’s Alex’s mom, duh,” Jamie said. Lydia pouted a bit at the sarcasm in her tone.

“Jamie, be nice,” Maggie chided.

“Sorry, Lyd. I just… Just because I came from my Mama’s tummy, not Alex’s doesn’t mean she’s any less my mom. And that means her family is my family. That’s why I’m your cousin because my mom is your ma’s sister,” Jamie said in a kinder tone. The adults all watched as Lydia seemed to be processing this. Since Lydia had never met Lillian (or even knew of her existence, really) she had no prior experiences with grandmothers and this was her first time meeting Eliza. Lena just really wanted this to go well.

“So… you’re my Nana, too?” she asked, directing the question to Eliza. She glanced at Lena and Kara who smiled warmly and nodded.

“Yes, I suppose I am. Would you like to call me Nana? It’s alright if you just want to call me Eliza,” she said softly.

“No, I like Nana. I’ve never had a Nana before!” Lydia hummed happily, wiggling in her chair. Eliza hid her eager smile behind her hand, eyes watering with unshed happy tears. Meanwhile, Lena was choking on her own sobs, quietly excusing herself to the bathroom. Kara followed behind her, carefully closing the door. Immediately, Lena collapsed into Kara’s arms, burying her tears in Kara’s chest. It took a few minutes for Lena to calm down well enough to speak.

“I just… I never… It was always- it was just… From the time I was barely twenty, I was on my own. I… I was pregnant and scared and alone and the only person I had on my side was Jack. Then he died, and I was alone again. I vowed never to let my mother anywhere near my child; I had resigned myself to the fact that my child wouldn’t have grandparents, no aunts or uncles or cousins in her life. We were going to build a different kind of community, one based on her friends rather than our family. But then… I met you. And suddenly… Lydia’s got another mom, aunts, a cousin… She’s got her Uncle Winn and she’s got J’onn and… And now, she’s got your mother, her Nana. I just… It’s more than I ever really expected- more than I could have hoped for. I suppose I- I overreacted a bit, I’m sorry,” Lena said softly. Kara pulled back, hands gently cradling Lena’s face.

“Don’t apologize for having feelings- or, like, being overwhelmed by feelings. You can’t be in control all the time and this is… it’s a big moment for everyone. We were all tearing up, okay? She’s your kid, of course, you’re going to get a little choked up. Now, do you need some more time or do you want to go back to dinner now?” Lena nodded wordlessly and Kara took a moment to kiss her, unhurried and ever so gentle. Lena smiled as they pulled away.

“Now that you mention it, I have one more present to give you. I wanted to wait until it was official, but… They waived the formal home visit and interview. The state is trying to expedite the process for a same-sex partner to adopt their partner’s child even if they’re not married. All we have to do is go to the courthouse and sign the papers and she’s yours, too- officially, I mean,” Lena said, bouncing on her toes. She had been waiting all week for a text from her legal team which had finally come during their drive here. Lena was planning on waiting until they got home to tell Kara, but she found she just couldn’t resist. Kara mouthed silently for a moment, jaw-dropping and eyes wide as dinner plates. Then, she broke into a broad, goofy grin.

“Really?” she squeaked excitedly. Lena nodded and Kara began to ramble. “Oh my Rao, Lee, this is the best Christmas gift! I know it’s basically just a piece of paper because that isn’t what makes her my daughter, but it’s, like, the most important piece of paper because it makes everything official! And this is such a great thing for practicality purposes because now I’m her legal guardian, but also because it’s like… proof that we’re family, and I just… I lost my family too, Lena, and I felt pretty alone growing up and I resigned myself to being alone, but now I have you guys and this is just- I’m so happy!” Kara squealed, bouncing on her toes before enveloping Lena in a tight hug. Neither woman knew how long they stood there hugging before a knock at the door interrupted them.

“Guys, Mom says if you guys are making a mess of her bathroom, you aren’t getting any dessert,” Alex called, banging on the door. Jumping back, Lena wrenched the door open, grinning sheepishly.

“We weren’t doing anything like that,” Lena said. 

At the same moment, Kara excitedly shouted, “the adoption is set to go through!” Alex raised an eyebrow, waiting for one of them to clarify. Lena looked at Kara, letting her continue. “I’m officially adopting Lydia as soon as the courts are open and we can sign the papers. I’m officially her mom!” Kara smiled, whispering now. Without a word, Alex enveloped the both of them in a hug. She rested her head on Kara’s shoulder and turned to whisper quietly to her, though proximity still allowed Lena to hear.

“You’ve been her mom for much longer than that, Kar,” Alex said softly, content to just hold her little sisters for a moment, feeling Lena sink into the embrace. “But seriously, can you come and finish your dinner? I want dessert and Eliza refuses to serve pie until she’s sure Kara has eaten enough dinner.” Kara and Lena just laughed, pulling away from Alex so that they could go back and finish Christmas dinner with their family.

 

After dessert, they retired to the living room where Lydia was showing everyone her lego set and Jamie was playing around with her new tablet. After a while, they exchanged gifts. Lydia wiggled excitedly, opening up new books and a child’s chemistry set from Alex and Maggie. Eliza had given her a new set of train tracks to add to her collection and Lydia hugged her Nana tight, thanking her profusely for the present. She immediately tore open the train set and began to play on the floor as Jamie opened up her own new books and a microscope kit from Kara and Lena. From Eliza, she received a subscription to a monthly science kit to be sent to her house. The adults exchanged chocolates and bottles of wine and new mittens, scarves and blankets and the group sat quietly. The children played on the floor while the adults chatted on the couches, Christmas movies playing softly in the background. The night finally began to wind down when Lydia passed out playing on the floor, the train still in hand.

“Oh, goodness, it’s past eight! I’m so sorry, Eliza, I didn’t realize it was getting so late,” Lena said, scooping up Lydia. “Kara, dear, could you clean up the tracks while I go get Lydia changed into her pajamas? We should start getting ready for the drive.”

“You’re sure you guys don’t want to stay here tonight? I don’t want you to drive if you’re tired,” Eliza offered. Alex, Maggie, and Jamie were set to stay the night, Alex and Maggie in one guest room and Jamie in Kara and Alex’s old bedroom.

“Thank you for the offer, but I wouldn’t feel right leaving Fish alone overnight, especially after being away from him for most of today,” Lena said, hitching Lydia’s bag onto her shoulder.

“Alright, if you’re sure, dear,” Eliza said. As Lena went to the first-floor guest room, she heard Eliza suggesting Alex help her sister clean up her things, quickly followed by the sounds of Alex’s protests.

“Mommy,” Lydia groaned as Lena put her down on the bed. “Where’s Chewy?” she whined.

“In your bag, sweetheart. Can you wake up just a little bit? We’re getting ready to leave and I need you to go potty and put on your jammies. It’s a long drive home,” Lena whispered. Lydia whined and groaned, kicking her feet and refusing to open her eyes.

“No, too tired. You do it,” she insisted. Lena sighed, running a hand through her messy hair. 

“It’s a very long drive, Lydia. If you don’t at least try and go potty before we leave, I’m going to have to put you in a pull-up for the ride home. Unless you want to risk an accident on the drive?” Lena offered. Lydia grumbled but pulled herself to her feet, allowing her mom to lead her to the bathroom. Lena felt a little bad; she didn’t mean to make Lydia feel threatened by the pull-up, she had only intended to make Lydia aware of her options. Regardless, Lydia came out of the bathroom rubbing her eyes sleepily. “It’s been a very long day, hasn’t it, munchkin?” Lena cooed as she helped Lydia out of her nice dress and tights and into her footie pajamas, attempting to comb her hair back into a semi-neat set of two braids. Once she was dressed again, Lena pulled on her coat, boots, and hat, bundling the little girl up for the chilly weather outside. They bid a long goodbye to their family, Lydia practically falling asleep on her feet until Kara scooped her up on her hip, balancing the sleepy girl with one arm as they made their way out to the car. Lydia was asleep before they left Midvale, and Lena and Kara spent the rest of the drive in comfortable silence.

 

“Lydia, if you want to stay up late tonight, you’d better lay down and take your nap,” Kara said warningly, pointing a finger at the protesting child. It was New Year’s Eve and they were planning on going to a party at Maggie and Alex’s place with all of their friends. The day after Christmas, Kara and Lena had signed the adoption papers and their little family became legally official. The rest of the week passed in a haze of Lena and Kara bickering about Lena constantly going into the office despite not strictly needing to along with Kara’s habit of going out as Supergirl more than technically necessary. Despite their little tiffs, it was clear they were in a state of bliss knowing that they were legally a family now, as well as emotionally. Alas, the vacation was coming to an end on New Year’s Eve and Kara was struggling to get Lydia down for her nap to prep for the party.

“What if I’m not tired?” Lydia countered. Kara rolled her eyes good-naturedly. Lena had gone into the office to get through yet another stack of contracts and proposals and other forms that needed her signature and her attention, and Kara was left to deal with an overexcited child. They’d told Lydia she could stay up until midnight, though they knew she was likely to fall asleep early anyway. Lena had argued that it was about giving her the option and letting her feel more like a big kid.

“Then you close your eyes and let your body rest for a while even if your mind doesn’t sleep. Now, close those pretty little eyes and just snuggle up. Listen, I’ll even sing you a song, okay?” Kara offered. Huffing, Lydia closed her eyes and got herself comfy on her bed under the covers. Kara sat on the edge of her bed, waiting for Lydia to get comfy before sliding down next to her. “You ready? Close your eyes and just relax, okay? I’ll come get you up in a bit, I promise,” Kara whispered, kissing Lydia’s forehead, petting her hair before she began to sing an old Kryptonese lullaby.

“Mama, what’s that song? What are those words?” Lydia mumbled her voice heavy with exhaustion.

“Shhh, peanut. I’ll teach it to you some time, okay? Promise. Just go to sleep.” Lydia harrumphed, but when Kara continued the song, she started to relax. Kara went through the song twice before Lydia’s breathing evened out and she fell asleep. 

Kara was just settled into the living room to continue working on her plan book for school before getting a panicked text from Alex.

**_Jamie is inviting Alison to the party tonight._ ** Kara just sent back a few question marks, unsure how to respond.

**_Maggie and I are pretty sure it’s a date._ **

Kara hesitated before typing out,  _ Is that a bad thing? Are we upset about it? _

**_Not upset, exactly…_ ** Alex responded. In a separate message, she added,  **_just confused, I guess. A little alarmed. She’s just so young, you know?_ **

_ I know, _ Kara replied.  _ But she is almost twelve. To kids, that’s super mature. _ Alex replied with a string of stressed emoji faces.  _ Relax! _ Kara responded, laughing.  _ Are you not okay with them dating? _

**_Only because we think she’s a little young to be dating._ **

**_Is it weird to tell her she can’t date her? What if that ruins their friendship or budding whatever?_ **

**_I mean, she’s only eleven._ **

**_I think it’s reasonable to say she can’t date anyone yet._ **

**_Maggie wants to make her wait until she’s thirteen, but I wanted to make her wait until 16._ ** The texts came in rapid succession and Kara just laughed, watching the three dots appear and disappear as Alex struggled to contain her word-vomit via text. When the pause was long enough, Kara responded.

_ I think whatever rule you decide on is going to work out. _

_ Though I do think sixteen is a bit old for that rule. _

_ Jamie’s a smart girl, she’ll understand even if she might be embarrassed and annoyed when you first bring it up. Just discuss it with her tonight before anyone comes over. Lay down the ground rules and whatever,  _ Kara responded.

**_Parenting an almost-teen is stressful. I thought I would have more time to prepare myself for the idea of her dating._ **

_ At least you know Alison is a good kid with a nice family. Talk to your wife. Set ground rules for Jamie and let her know. Now, not that I don’t love chatting with you but I have to finish my plans for March or else Susan will have my ass come Tuesday. _

**_Abandoning me in my time of need._ **

**_I see how it is._ **

**_See you later tonight. Love you loser._ **

Kara snorted at Alex’s theatrics- and  _ she _ was supposedly the more dramatic of the pair.  _ Love you, too, sis. _ She added a heart emoji which Alex immediately returned and Kara was able to get back to her planning, waiting for Lena to return.

 

“Jamie! Jamie! I’m gonna stay up late tonight! Mommy and Mama say I can, isn’t that cool? And we’re gonna have ice cream and pizza and potstickers and funny hats and noisemakers and confetti!” Lydia shouted, jumping around Jamie as soon as they arrived. Kara unclipped Fish’s leash, letting him run into the backyard with Gertrude. The dogs barked and romped around happily together. Jamie, meanwhile had her eyes glued to her phone.

“Uh, yeah, super cool, Lyd,” she said, fingers flying across her screen as she typed.

“Jamie, be polite,” Maggie scolded. Jamie huffed, puffing out her cheeks and rolling her eyes as she shoved her phone into her pocket. “Jamie,” Maggie whispered warningly.

“Sorry, Lyd, yeah that sounds like a lot of fun. You sure you’ll be able to stay up?” she smiled teasingly, leading Lydia into the living room where they could watch the dogs playing.

“Sorry about her, she’s a little mad at us. We told her she was too young to date anyone, and she started yelling about how they weren’t even dating and we were putting pressure on her and why couldn’t we just leave her alone. It was not a pretty sight,” Alex huffed, running a hand through her hair.

“Ahh, the preteen years,” Lena sighed. “Can’t say I’m really looking forward to that.”

“I think she was probably just a bit embarrassed because she was asking about Alison sleeping over and we just- well, mostly me, really- I panicked and started talking about how she was too young,” Maggie admitted. “I don’t think we’re really ready for the whole sex talk, either.”

“I mean, you’ve got a little time, don’t you?” Lena asked. “She is young, after all.”

“They’re learning about it in school come March. The PE teachers and the nurse will teach health classes about puberty, menstruation, and sex. They sent home a notice at the beginning of the year,” Alex told them. She led them into the kitchen where they were offered a drink (wine for Lena and alien alcohol for Kara). “We plan to supplement what the school teaches with a more thorough, complete discussion.”

“That’s more than I ever got,” Lena chuckled.

“Mom, Alison’s almost here!” Jamie called from the living room.

“I think that’s our hint to stop talking about puberty and sex,” Maggie smirked, heading to go open the door as the bell rang.

“Who else is coming tonight?” Kara asked, sipping her drink.

“Not many people; Winn and his girlfriend had to cancel last minute. So, it’s just Sam and Ruby, Alison, and Maggie’s work partner and his wife and kids. They’ve got three boys, two twins that are about Lydia’s age and a nine-year-old,” Alex explained. Kara and Lena nodded.

“Lena!” Ruby squealed as she ran into the kitchen, running into Lena’s arms, wet boots skidding on the tile floors. She was dressed in a red sweater dress with cotton tights, a black peacoat buttoned over her outfit and a white beanie pulled over her dark hair.

“Munchkin!” Lena laughed, bending down to pick her up and swing her around in a hug.

“Hey, Luthor, don’t drop my kid,” Sam teased as she sauntered in wearing a sparkly black top and jeans tucked neatly into heeled booties.

“I’ve only had a few sips of wine, Arias, get off my back,” Lena fired back, putting Ruby down on the ground to hug her friend. As everyone traded greetings and hugs, the remaining guests arrived and the party could begin.

 

“Mommy, how much longer? I want to throw the confetti,” Lydia whined, coming to a stop in front of Lena on the living room couch. The younger kids have been running around chasing the dogs, playing tag and hide-and-go-seek, Lydia and Ruby quickly making friends with Maggie’s partner Jackson’s boys Blake and Leo. They’d eaten junk food, drank soda, and generally been on a sustained sugar-high but it appeared, an hour and a half before midnight, that Lydia was fading, yawning and rubbing her eyes.

“Not yet, baby. A little while longer. Do you want to come watch the party on TV happening in New York?” Lena offered.

“No,” Lydia whined. “I want it to be the new year now.”

“Lydia’s getting cranky because she can’t stay up,” Ruby giggled, spinning around the living room. The five-year-old twin boys chasing after her and laughing. Their older son Tommy followed a few steps after, grinning broadly and roaring, pretending to be a monster chasing his brothers. Fish and Gertrude followed behind, tongues lolling out.

“Am not!” Lydia retorts.

“Are too,” Leo crowed ducking behind the recliner to hide from Tommy.

“Am not!” Lydia stomped her foot. “I’m a big girl.”

“Nuh-uh, you’re the littlest one here!” Blake said.

“Hey now, hey now, let’s all take a break, okay?” Kara said, crossing the room, Sam, Jackson and his wife Harper behind her.

“Boys, you’d better not be teasing,” Harper said sternly. “If you aren’t being nice, we will go home right now and you boys won’t get to stay up until midnight.”

“Not fair! I wasn’t doing anything!” Tommy protested.

“Then maybe you can stay here with Dad and I’ll take the twins home,” she amended.

“But Mom, it’s true! She is the littlest! Ruby turns six next week, and me and Leo turn six in March! Lydia’s not even five yet,” Blake explained.

“Boys, come talk to me in the dining room for a minute. Now,” Jackson said, a hand on each twin’s shoulder as he steered them into the dining hall adjacent to the kitchen.

“You too, missy,” Sam said, crooking her finger at Ruby and leading her down the hallway until they were out of earshot. Lydia pouted a little bit, hiding her yawn in Lena’s chest.

“Hey, Lydia, wanna know what might help us stay up?” Tommy said with a lopsided grin. She nodded as he leaned in to whisper conspiratorially. “Ice cream sundaes!” Lydia squealed and nodded.

“Can we, Mommy? Can we, can we?” Lydia begged, twisting around.

“Yeah, Mom, can we?” Tommy asked.

“That’s alright with me,” Lena smiled.

“I suppose it’s alright with me, too. But not too much sugar!” Harper added. Kara and Alex trailed behind the kids to supervise the sundae making. Five minutes later, the other kids came back looking sufficiently chastised and apologized to Lydia for their playful teasing before pleading for their parents to let them have ice cream. All of the children- even the two preteens- made their way into the living room with bowls of ice cream laden with whipped cream, chocolate sauce, sprinkles, and other candies. They sat and watched performances on Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve while the adults got tipsier and chatted about nothing in particular. 

“Alright, sticky kids, time for pajamas and a wet washcloth, let’s go,” Maggie said with a smile. Parents ushered their kids into the bathrooms, a home office, and spare bedrooms. Once they all returned, the kids had clean faces and were dressed in soft, fleece pajamas. Reenergized by the sugar, the kids ran around some more to play tag and chase the dogs around while the adults kept themselves busy chatting and drinking (though Lena had stopped drinking two hours ago so she could drive them home, as had Jackson and Sam). The night wore on and everyone was called into the living room, all standing in front of the TV at five minutes to midnight. Alex and Maggie passed out champagne flutes (some with actual champagne, others with sparkling cider, and one spiked with alien alcohol). The kids were given noisemakers and handfuls of confetti, vibrating with excitement and the kind of energy that can only come from being overtired. 

“Oh, look! The ball is starting to drop!” Kara said excitedly, pointing to the TV.

“Do I throw it now?” Lydia asked around the noisemaker in her mouth.

“Not yet, silly! You gotta wait until the countdown goes to zero,” Ruby informs her very matter-of-factly. When the countdown hits twenty, everyone starts to get ready. As it hits ten, they all start shouting the numbers.

“...Nine! Eight! Seven! Six! Five! Four! Three! Two! One! Happy New Year!” The room exploded in a cacophony of noise. The kids rang their noisemakers, parents drank their toasts, and confetti was tossed in the air, the dogs barking and jumping excitedly the entire time. Putting an arm around Lena’s waist and pulling her close, Kara kissed Lena softly, slipping her tongue into her mouth and holding her close as Lena kissed her back. When they pulled away, they saw Alex kissing Maggie, Jackson kissing Harper, and Sam kissing Ruby’s cheek. While Kara picked up Lydia so that both of her moms could kiss her cheeks, she saw Jamie tentatively kiss Alison’s cheek. Both preteens’ cheeks were bright red, but they were beaming at each other, intertwining their fingers.

“Happy New Year, munchkin!” Lena said, leaving a sloppy kiss on Lydia’s cheek before putting her down. They all made the rounds, hugging everyone and wishing them a happy new year. The party began to wind down as everyone bundled back up and headed for home. Kara was pleasantly tipsy as she buckled herself into the passenger seat, holding Lena’s hand over the console as they made the drive home. Lydia was asleep by the time they got home and Lena carried her, placing her under the covers and Fish jumped up to snuggle at her feet.

“What a wonderful way to start the New Year- surrounded by friends and family,” Lena hummed as they both got themselves ready for bed, putting on pajamas and brushing their teeth.

“The best way,” Kara agreed around a mouthful of toothpaste.

“The Luthors always hosted extravagant parties filled with business partners and rich, powerful associates. Children weren’t invited, but Lex was older so I would always be upstairs in my room, watching the ball drop with my nanny, and sometimes the maids. Then in college, I would stay with Jack and he would take me out to bars. And then it was just me and a baby, so… This was nice,” Lena shrugged. 

“Well, we’ll definitely do it again next year, then. Maybe I’ll bring Eliza down, and my cousin. And I’ll make sure Winn comes, and you can invite Jess! Anyone you want, okay? We can do this every year if you want.” Kara said warmly, rubbing her hands up and down Lena’s arms, pulling her into a hug and kissing her forehead before they crawled under the covers.

“Every year,” Lena whispered, amazed at the concept.  _ Every year _ sounded like plans for a lifetime, like plans for forever. Lena realized she quite liked the sound of that, the thought of waking up to Kara every morning and falling asleep next to her every night, spending holidays with her and her family, taking their children (she imagined a little blonde girl and a boy with curly, dark hair traipsing after their big sister Lydia on their first day of kindergarten) to school. 

In that moment, snuggled under the covers with Kara, thinking about their New Year’s Eve plans for  _ every year _ , Lena began to plan for forever.


End file.
